The Price We Pay
by Mystic Darkness
Summary: Angels live in Heaven, Demons in Hell. Both try to influence mortals, but almost never bother each other. But when Seifer, King of Hell, decides he wants Rinoa, an angel, for his own, Squall will do anything to stop it. Squinoa. Currently on hold.
1. Introduction

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any characters.

The Price We Pay

Introduction

I do not know where to begin. All that I know is I must hurry. I am a demon; one of the damned who lives in Hell. The land of fire and brimstone is forever my domain.

But I do not care to speak of Hell any longer. I must flee soon. I am a traitor; I will be hunted until I am eliminated. I solemnly wonder, as the pen glides across the paper, why I did not think to write this sooner. As my memories and dreams, along with my chances to live, begin to fade I feel I must write down all that has happened to me. This starts as my story, but quickly will converge with one other's.

This is not a story of good and evil, for no one should have to judge such things. For what is right to one may be wrong to another. No, this is a story of many stories. This is a story about the choices that many beings made and how it affected others in my eyes and in another's.

How shall I truly begin? This story that I write is not only about me; it is about _her_. She was an angel in every possible meaning of the word. She lived only where angels could: Heaven. She was second in command only to Edea, who rules to this day. Her face will always remain with me, even as all other memories and images fade. You must surely know of who I speak. I am certain that you have seen her at some point in time. She is the subject of many paintings. I am not surprised. She was an angel, fair in face and form. But she was blessed more than any other angel I have ever seen.

She was my muse. Clearly I am not the only one inspired by her beauty and glory. There are many depictions from famous artists. And even as I write about her, I know that neither mortal words, nor pictures can capture her in all that she truly is. I have seen few portrayals that come close to showing her. Many portray her in flowing robes of white and silver, sometimes even gold. The pearl and pure white illustrations are most common. She is always wearing white slippers in every painting I have seen. Her dainty feet often have ribbons from these slippers tied up her legs. Her ebony tresses are often loose, cascading in a thick, perfect mass down to her back. Her hair ended just above the place where her wings protruded from her back, I believe. I can still remember what it felt like. Her porcelain skin glows ever so brightly in the paintings, but nothing can capture how she really looked.

My personal favorite portrait, one that I saw ages ago as I wandered the Mortal Realm, is in fact sitting with me as a write. When I saw it, I had to have it. I carry it even now, as I cannot bear to be without it. She is wearing a long, flowing gown of amber and gold, with a long train trailing behind her. Her wings and arms are outstretched, as if she welcomes all poor creatures of the realms. Her raven hair is piled atop her head, small diamonds and other hairpieces holding it in place, each shining with its own light. Her eyes are closed, which is a shame, for she had such beautiful eyes. Her thin, rosy lips are turned into a serene smile so inviting it feels as though one could jump into the painting along with her. Even my words and this picture cannot do her justice.

This is her story more than it is mine. She was much more worthy of such lengthy words than I ever was. Everything after we met I will write down exactly as she said it. It is the least I can do. My memory has not faded so much that I cannot remember her exact words. I feel that if even one word is incorrect, I should injure myself for slighting her perfection in such a way. My story is not important, but I will explain events leading up to our meeting from my own view, for I do not know of hers and have no way of obtaining such information. Oh that I could gaze upon her face once more…

As I conclude this introduction, it must be mentioned that I, Squall Leonheart, must now take a spectators view. I feel I must write this story as though seeing it unfold for the first time. I think she would have had it that way.

Oh Rinoa… Now I must write the things I wish never to forget. Forgive me, for the others will be forever chasing me. I may not have enough of a chance to finish this. I will try to finish for you, my dearly beloved. Once again I must run for you, and I would run forever if it would bring you to me. Alas, I must conclude this beginning, and start now where the story should truly begin.

To all those reading, good luck; I hope your story never sounds like mine.

-Squall Leonheart

High Demon Knight Under the Command of Seifer Almasy


	2. Rinoa

Disclaimer: I do not own FF VIII or any characters

I just realized that I spelled Squall's name Leonheart not Leonhart. I don't know how long this story is going to be. And characters may be OOC, but that's just the way I wrote it. Forgive me.

The Price We Pay

Chapter I

* * *

"I am a sinner." 

The man said this to himself as he was preparing to sleep. He knew that his soul was corrupted and that he had done many terrible things in his life. As he lay on his bed he felt the darkness embrace him. He knew the deeds he had committed were wrong, but felt little desire to repent or stop. His dreams often led him to do worse things. Sleep closed his eyes, and once again his soul ventured to the Dream Plane.

This time, however, he did not enter the darkness as usual. Instead something gently guided his soul to a place full of serene light. He felt oddly at peace, more than he ever did. And suddenly, descending from the sky was an angel. She had four wings, one pair of the purest gold while the other absolute silver. She had kind, deep brown eyes and raven hair that fell gracefully around her shoulders. She landed, in all of her white glory, in front of him. She did not say a word, but simply embraced him.

"What… Why me?"

"I could sense you're troubled heart, even if you could not," her light voice turned into delicate laughter, "and I could not leave you. You deserve to be saved. Follow the light in your heart; it is your truest guide."

She gently laid her lips upon his head and released him. As she slowly vanished, he asked her who she was.

She answered that her name was Rinoa.

* * *

"You mean to tell me that we have lost another to _them_? Squall, I thought you said that you were going to do something about this. Those damned angels continue to save the corrupted. The numbers of those entering my realm are dwindling. This cannot be!" 

"Lord Seifer, you must understand that it is very difficult to find these angels. They are very swift in saving the lesser persons. And they are quite elusive."

Seifer rose from his eccentric throne and spread his black wings in exasperation. His cold green eyes were hardened with hatred. He wore all black except for his white overcoat, which had red crosses on it. He wielded a gunblade, but for the moment it rested against the throne. Seifer brought his wings back in and the claws on the tips hooked together to hold them in place. Running a hand over his head to smooth his hair, he glared down at his High Demon Knight, who went by the name Squall Leonhart.

"I will personally find and destroy as many as these angels as I can. You will as well. And find Zell and Irvine as well. I require my first three High Demon Knights to aide me. One of you will remain here at all times. I will not rest until the entire Mortal Realm is corrupted!"

Squall casually ran a hand through his unruly brown hair. His stormy grey eyes scanned the King of Hell without showing any emotion. He knew it was almost useless to go against Seifer. For all the centuries Seifer had been king, Squall had been his First High Demon Knight. Irvine was the second, and Zell, who was very outspoken against Seifer, was third.

"So you command, I will obey." With a bow, he turned and sauntered out.

* * *

"Zell, Irvine, we have been summoned. Lord Seifer has ordered that we hunt angels. Zell, you are to stay and guard the throne room until one of us comes to relieve you. Irvine and I must travel with Lord Seifer until he feels we have destroyed and corrupted enough." 

Zell groaned and adjusted his uniform. Zell, Irvine and Squall all shared chambers in the High Court, where only the High Demon Knights could reside. All demons in hell wore black uniforms with gold trim and gold embroidery on the shoulders. A small gold chain connected these two designs. The cuffs of the sleeves were a deep crimson, and a black, gold-lined belt was cinched at their waists. Midnight colored pants and boots completed their attire. Their ebony wings were generally extended, since clasping them would hide the splendor of the attire, and if one looked close enough they could see the red veins pulsating from time to time. Hardly anyone knew this, for no one ever was close enough to a demon's wings and lived to tell the tale. The three grabbed their weapons and left.

Irvine wordlessly followed Squall and Zell. He was the only demon to wear a cowboy hat with his uniform, a habit he had picked up from visiting the Mortal Realm. Zell veered off into the throne room. Squall and Irvine, carrying a special model of gunblade and rifle respectively, walked to room that contained the Portal to the Dream Plane. Seifer was already waiting with his own gunblade.

"You are wasting my precious time! These angels need to be destroyed!"

The trio stepped through the portal and entered the Dream Plane.

* * *

A lesser angel was trying to coerce a young sinner-female to give up her awful ways. This angel was not yet as skilled as others in the art of salvation, so she had to linger longer with her dreamers. She felt a dark presence slip into the dream and turned to see a black hole in the Dream Plane. From it stepped the notorious King of Hell, Seifer Almasy himself! Early in their instruction the angels learned that if Seifer was sighted, they were to report immediately to Edea, who was the Queen of Heaven, Rinoa, Selphie, or Quistis. 

The angel turned away, abandoning her cause to flee to Edea, the only one strong enough to single-handedly defeat Seifer in this realm. As she turned, she saw standing before her one who they had been warned against as well: Squall Leonhart. He was nearly as terrible in reputation as Seifer. His cold eyes stared into her frightened ones. She realized that the pictures in their instructions looked very little like him, with the exception of his eyes. Terror held her and she began to shake. It did not last long, however, for a blast of demonic energy collided with her back, disintegrating her wings and casting her into oblivion.

The hunt had begun.

* * *

It is not known how long this went on, for time is lost to immortals. Seifer never tired of the ending of innocence, and hundreds of angels fell to his blade. But he felt unfulfilled, because each time he returned to Hell he would hear reports of more and more salvation from the Arch Angels. He had not killed any Arch Angels, much less seen any. They were highly skilled in eluding danger. 

Squall did not like having to destroy so many. He preferred to corrupt the humans directly; for once a High Demon Knight corrupted someone not one angel could save them. He did not know that two angels, Edea and her second-in-command Rinoa, could save anyone. He had never seen either of them; as such he did not know of their power.

Irvine and Zell enjoyed destroying angels as much as any demon, but soon tired of Seifer's relentless pursuit. They too preferred to corrupt in dreams, or even visit the Mortal Realm in the guise of a mortal and damage directly with no room for angel interference. But none of the three could go against Seifer, and he continued to slay angels.

"My lord, perhaps we should simply redouble our efforts to impair the mortals. This is a waste of time, and we are getting nowhere." Zell had gone past his breaking point.

"No, I will not admit defeat to them! I command every demon in Hell to come here and hunt angels until there are no more!"

As Seifer commanded, so it was.

* * *

"My lady Edea, it is no use. They are cutting down our ranks in waves. Every demon und Seifer's command is hunting and corrupting the minds of the weak. We stand no chance. We must simply wait and regroup before we even stand a chance. Rinoa, Selphie and I are unable to help the lesser angels without endangering many more." Quistis was perhaps the most sensible Arch Angel of all, though the least loved of the three. Rinoa held the title of beloved. Selphie, the playful one, stood solemnly now at Quitis's side. 

"Very well, you are right. I had thought that Seifer would tire of this, but he proves stubborn enough. Any angel in the Dream Plane, or in the Mortal Realm for that matter, must immediately return here to Heaven. Any who venture out risks themselves and faces almost certain destruction."

Quistis shifted slightly in her Arch Angel robes. Her golden and silver wings were folded in close to her body. She and Selphie wore identical white robes with gold and silver ties around the waist and white slippers. They changed their attire to fit dreams on occasion, but at the moment they wore their usual garments.

"My lady there is one more thing. It is Rinoa; she refuses to stop. She feels that she must be faithful to her subjects. She wants to save as many as she can. She knows that only those touched directly by Seifer must be avoided, and she has an amazing sense for those corrupted enough to be demons. Selphie and I begged Rinoa to withdraw, but she simply fled to the Dream Plane. I fear for her." Selphie, who had been silent until now, voiced her thought in a quiet voice.

Edea was distraught and exasperated. Rinoa was so loved in other realms and yet was still needed in Heaven. Edea knew that no lesser demon could destroy her, but rumors of Seifer, Squall, Irvine, and Zell together made Edea fearful. Even _she_ herself could not handle such a force alone. Rinoa would be walking into a death trap… or worse.

"Rinoa… knows how to take care of herself. She surely must understand the risks of what she does. I cannot make her stop; it is her choice. Quistis, Selphie, do everything in your power to protect her and _please_ reason with her. I cannot lose one of my trinity of Arch Angels." Edea cradled her head in one hand and waved the pair off with the other.

Selphie and Quistis retired to their chambers, waiting for when Rinoa would come back.

* * *

"Lord Seifer," Irvine all but shouted to get his attention, "It appears that the angels have vanished. There are no traces of purity or salvation in the Dream Plane." 

"Finally my task is complete. I decree that all demons are to return and prepare for masses of souls to enter my realm. Prepare for a new wave of demons!" Seifer spread his wings and raised his fist in triumph, Irvine and Zell mimicking the gesture and cheering. Squall simply ran a gloved hand through is hair. The four returned and Seifer immediately retreated into the throne room.

Many hours passed without incident in Hell, until the sensitive Squall felt something odd. It was a force that was more powerful that any he had felt in the Dream Plane. There was an angel! It was an Arch Angel if he inferred correctly. He had to investigate.

"Irvine, I will return shortly. Do not tell Seifer of my absence." Irvine was trustworthy enough, and he waved Squall off and placed his hat over his face, intending to sleep.

Squall quietly entered the dreams of one newly corrupted individual. He could feel the presence of an angel. He murmured a spell that disguised his wings and his eyes, the only true feature that could betray his true nature. Suddenly a gentle voice drifted to his ears, reminding him of music he had once heard in the Mortal Realm.

"You are not the one I seek, are you? No, your soul is uncorrupted. There is not even a spot of darkness. Why, your soul is cleaner than some angels! I must know who you are, for you have escaped the demon touch. My name is Rinoa."

A deity the likes of which he had never seen descended before him. She was pale, but all angels were. Her deep, rich brown eyes captivated him. Her white garb ended just above her knees, accenting every perfect feature she possessed. She had four wings; two were pure gold and the others glowed silver. Her black hair was lightly highlighted and fell around her delicate face and frame. A serene smile graced her thin, rosy lips. Surely she was an Arch Angel, whose beauty he had heard of on rare occasions entering the Mortal Realm. He stood and gazed at her in awe. He did not even hear her ask his name. She repeated the question in her dainty voice.

"I cannot tell you that."

"But why not? You of such purity can have nothing to hide." She did not know how wrong she was. He was a demon, and somehow this Rinoa was unable to sense the corruption he was sure he possessed. Looking into her eyes, he felt compelled to tell the truth.

"Never mind, names are of little importance. I must leave you; I need to fix the chaos the demons brought. Goodbye, nameless pure one." Rinoa stepped up to him, leaned up and kissed his cheek, closed her eyes and began to ascend.

"Squall! My name is Squall!" She nodded and vanished; he felt her no more. He cringed as the spot where she touched him began to burn. Cursing, Squall left the Dream Plane and returned to his chambers. Irvine was there, but with a somewhat grave look on his handsome face.

"Lord Seifer wishes to speak with you. I did not reveal anything, but he is raging about something." Squall nodded and left, Irvine following him.

* * *

"I am entirely serious _Lord Seifer_. The corrupted are being saved at an alarming rate. But I can find traces of only _one_ angel. There is only one working to save them. The others have fled in fear." 

Squall and Irvine entered to find Zell explaining this to his seething king. Seifer's face was flushed in rage as he demanded the report again. Frustrated, Zell repeated his statement. Seifer slammed his closed fist on the throne before Squall made himself known.

"My Lord, you summoned me?"

"So I did. Squall, where were you? You have been gone for a suspicious amount of time during this dire instance. Come closer… And take your hand away from your face. Fires of Hell! You have been touched by an Arch Angel! Only one so pure touching one so damned could have made that mark. I demand to know where you have been!" Seifer's immense powers as the King of Hell made themselves known as he reached out and closed his gloved hand around Squall's head.

Squall's hands immediately shot up to remove Seifer's, but there was a reason that Seifer was King. He did not even blink at the animosity with which Squall attacked him. His unrelenting strength allowed him to probe Squall's desperately guarded mind and relive the events with Rinoa. He felt everything the Squall had felt as he stood watching the angel. Squall's strength failed him as his arms fell to his sides and he allowed his master to see the events without opposition. Seifer remained for longer than necessary and only left when Irvine warned him of weakening Squall beyond help. Seifer released his iron grip on Squall, who crumbled to the ground and was aided to his feet by Irvine and Zell.

"Rinoa… Rinoa… Rinoa…" Seifer repeated, a thoughtful look on his dark face. "I want this Rinoa for myself. Squall, when your strength returns to you, accompany Irvine and Zell to take her. Irvine, Zell go now and try to obtain her. She should not be hard to find, her presence is strong. I _will_ have her."

Squall was unable to move by himself and was aided to his chambers and bid farewell to the others. Before he fell asleep he weakly and with great effort touched the spot on his cheek. It no longer ached, but was very warm. He made a vow that Seifer would not harm her, and sleep finally pulled him into its embrace.


	3. Capture

Disclaimer: I do not own FF VIII or any characters. Sorry it took so long to update.

The Price We Pay

Chapter II

* * *

Squall slept for longer than he realized. He did not, however, allow his weakened soul to venture to the Dream Plane. That would be too dangerous. No, he had been trained long ago in the art of commanding his soul. He lost track of the amount of time he slept. Seifer had pulled a great deal of his strength by reliving that memory. Recovery was difficult and long, but necessary. 

It was Zell who woke him at length. Irvine was with him, and both looked utterly exhausted. Zell looked worse than Irvine, but that was simply because he was slightly less powerful. Squall wondered how he looked himself, and wondered why they had returned. He did not have to wait long for an answer.

"Lord Seifer summoned us to wake you. Rinoa has eluded us for too long. You found her once, which gives you an advantage. Come on, Seifer is waiting." Irvine led the trio to the throne room. Squall all but stumbled in, still groggy from his long slumber. He immediately regretted waking, for Seifer had worked himself into a fit over Rinoa. Fury was etched into every bit of his countenance.

"Finally he awakens! Squall, you were fortunate and found Rinoa once, therefore you should be able to find her again. These two _imbeciles_ are too incompetent to follow orders. All I want is one angel yet they cannot find her. One angel is all I asked for. Is that so hard?" Seifer beat the chamber wall so hard that he threatened to puncture it.

"She is crafty, that Rinoa, I'll give her that. She has the ability to leave her essence in one spot, attracting our senses. When we get there, she is already somewhere else." Zell felt the need to defend himself and Irvine against Seifer's onslaught.

"Such a trick will not work on me. My senses are keener than either of yours. I will be able to sense the difference between real and false. I will prepare and go myself."

"Do not leave yet, Squall. Come here, for I wish to see her again, and your memory is most direct. And I will not sap as much strength if you do not struggle."

Squall reluctantly stepped forward and allowed Seifer's hand to rest on his forehead. He could feel Seifer invade the inner sanctum of his mind to see the treasured memory. Luckily Seifer did not see Squall's true thoughts, for they were in a place in Squall's mind that was hidden even from himself at times. He felt what little strength he had regained wane as Seifer overstayed his welcome once again. This time Squall fell to his knees when he felt Seifer leave something in his mind.

"What… What did you do Lord Seifer?" The edges of his vision turned black and he felt more fatigue than before.

"I simply placed part of my essence inside that memory so that I may experience it again without needing you all the time." Seifer's clouded eyes were unreadable. "Let your soul venture to the Dream Plane and when you wake I would be _delighted_ if Rinoa was here beside me. Irvine, Zell take him back to the chambers and continue the mission." Seifer dismissed them and returned to his throne. He sat and watched the memory to himself.

* * *

"Why do we put up with him? And Squall, at least sound upset when you call him _Lord Seifer_." Zell mocked his leader even though he knew that Seifer could beat all three of them combined. Seifer's heart was so twisted when he came to Hell centuries ago that his demonic powers outclassed even the formed ruler, Ultemicia. That was before Zell and Irvine arrived, but Squall could remember training with Seifer before he became king. 

"I can make it the rest of the way. Just go. We don't want Seifer to become furious." Squall stumbled, but waved off Irvine and Zell as they tried to assist him. He finally blindly staggered onto his bed. He was rather restless despite his exhaustion and opted instead to go directly to the Dream Plane. He lurched toward the portal and entered to do his duty.

* * *

"Rinoa, I know that Edea said it was up to you but Quisty and I can't lose you! If that meanie Seifer gets you, you could be gone forever!" Selphie pleaded with her friend as Rinoa prepared for yet another venture into the Dream Plane. 

"Seifer has no power over me. Very few demons have been in the realm. I can escape those who are there. And there are still many who need to be saved! The demon attack left many corrupted. I am simply doing my duty."

Quistis sighed. Rinoa was very strong willed and would not be swayed. As Rinoa left for the Dream Plane, a strange feeling of dread washed over her. She met eyes with Selfie and knew that she had felt it too. Without words they went after Rinoa.

* * *

He could feel Irvine and Zell off a long way and knew that they probably could not sense him. Suddenly he felt _her_ presence, although it was very slight. He knew that it was not enough for Zell or even Irvine to detect. She must have known that they were here and was hiding from them. He suddenly became aware of his surroundings. 

Squall stood, looking rather handsome in his demon apparel, against the wall of a brightly lit ballroom. There were many other people in the room, all males wearing the same attire that he currently wore. The women were all dressed in different gowns. He could feel her presence nearing, but did not know if she would look the same. Looking out a window, he saw a shooting star. Following its path, his breath left him as he saw Rinoa. She looked gorgeous in her creamy, off-white dress that ended just above her knees. He raven tresses contrasted beautifully and she absolutely glowed. Squall wondered if she appeared like this for others as well.

Suddenly she was standing before him, her gentle smile making him all but melt. All fears and fatigue were forgotten, and with little conversation he pulled her into a dance. He had not noticed, but the Waltz for the Moon was playing. He had often heard the peace in his earliest years as a demon when he visited the Mortal Realm. As his years as a demon grew, he went less and less to that place and he had not hear the music in centuries. He whirled her in the familiar steps, and she seemed content with few words. Eventually they began to talk as the dance went on.

"You came back. I wondered if the demons had scared you too. All of the angels fear for me. They say that Seifer will get me. They think me foolish," she smiled and laughed, "but Seifer is the fool. He thinks terror can stop me, but I refuse to be scared of him. He has no power over me. And he clearly has no power over you."

"You should not be scared." (Oh Rinoa you should be terrified. He has more power than you know.) "But Seifer is strong, and…" Suddenly he felt the presence of Zell, Irvine and two beings that he was certain were other Arch Angels. He was also quite sure that he sensed it because of his acute perception and that they did not know that all of them resided so close to one another.

A sudden spell of weakness plagued him and an image of his king flashed through his mind. While the dance continued around him, He pulled Rinoa in and held her there, too weak to do anything else. If she was puzzled, she did not show it. She simply winked at him, held up one finger, and excused herself. Squall turned after her and saw the two angels, a serious blond and a playful-looking brunette. He watched as she talked to them, but his strength was spent. He fell to his knees in the middle of the dance floor. He was aided by Zell and Irvine who had appeared at some point. He was too weak to have snesed his comrades. Squall looked back at Rinoa to see the other angels gaping in horror. Another image of his king flashed before him and he blacked out.

* * *

Squall had no perception of time, and when he woke up he was alone and very cold. Zell and Irvine were not there, but Squall was able to muster the strength to bring himself to his feet. He unclasped his wings and used them to support himself as he wandered toward the throne room. He felt strange, and did not understand his feelings until he walked into the throne room. 

Lying on the floor next to Seifer's throne, with wings bent out of shape and bleeding, was _Rinoa_.

* * *

"Light of Lights! What happened to you? Quistis, where is Rinoa? Selphie what happened?!?" Edea frantically searched for answers as she saw her beaten angels. 

"Lady Edea, you know that we Arch Angels sometimes have premonitions, right? Selphie and I both had one, and Rinoa was in danger. We went after her, and we found her in the Dream Plane with a pure-hearted man. His name… was Squall. It was Squall Leonhart, commanded by Seifer. But his soul was so clean even I didn't suspect a thing. He had even masked his wings and eyes. But he collapsed, and we felt Seifer's presence. Two more demons, Zell and Irvine, had come to aide Squall, but they saw Rinoa. They had orders to take her." Quistis stopped to nurse a nasty wound on her arm. Selfie took up.

"We fought, but we were totally unprepared. Squall was unconscious, but Zell and Irvine attacked. By the Light their power was great. Quisty and I could hardly hold them off. Rinoa helped too, but she was worried about Squall. We didn't know until later who he was. But then… _he _appeared. Seifer himself arrived. It was three against three, but his power… Lady Edea, I do not think _you_ could fight him alone. Within _seconds_ he had the three of us beaten. His furious blast of black magic sent Quisty and I flying, but Rinoa was able to fend it off. I don't know how." Selphie stopped as if reliving the events and shuddered violently. Quistis returned to finish.

"She used her strongest spell, even though she was barely strong enough to stand. She made a blade of holy light and sliced at him, but he suddenly drew a gunblade enveloped in demonic energy and deflected the attack with more force back at her. It cut her arm and she was bleeding terribly. We couldn't protect her. But we did see Seifer approach her. She clutched her arm and she spit in his face. Rinoa always was defiant. But he raised his hand, and it was surrounded in a strange black mist. He had grabbed her neck and lifted her above his head, and she struggled like I've never seen. But we could see her strength failing. By that time, Irvine and Zell were after us. Seifer dropped Rinoa. She fell into a heap onto the ground and did not move. Seifer then turned toward us. We… we had to flee like cowards and leave her. We turned to see Irvine and Zell had stopped pursuing us and were helping Squall. That was when we saw his true identity. His wings and true eyes returned, and we saw our premonition come true. Seifer had Rinoa, bleeding and unconscious, in his arms as he stepped through a dark portal… " Quistis wept when she finished, and her tears mixed with the blood from her wounds, making a terrible mess of her garments.

Edea wept also, as she had wept for all the angels who were obliterated. But Edea knew that Seifer was merciless, and Rinoa was in for something far worse than any of them could imagine…

* * *

Rinoa was very weak. She could barely move, let alone breathe. She found that she was still in the throne room, but she was in a seated position. She could hear voices. 

"No, we didn't get the other angels. It was Quistis and Selphie, both close to Edea. My Lord, Rinoa was the closest to Edea." She saw that the blonde with wavy, spiked hair and a tattoo on his face was speaking. She knew that this was Zell.

"And so the angel awakens! Welcome, dearest Rinoa, to the Throne Room in my palace. I am Seifer Almasy, the King of Hell. And you, my dear, are mine." Seifer leaned down to stroke her cheek with his gloved hand, but Rinoa turned her head away with great hostility, cause her to grimace in pain. Seifer frowned and, grabbing her chin, forced her to look at him. Rinoa avoided his eyes, and as a result saw the weakened Squall. Rinoa's eyes suddenly widened and Squall perceived terror in them. His reputation preceded him. Clearly she had not known him before, for the bewilderment in her eyes was fresh.

"You are… Squall Leonhart. But, how could you have masked yourself in such a way?"

"Zell, take our dear guest down to the dungeon until she learns her place." Seifer did not like that Squall had taken her attention from him. Before letting Zell have her, Seifer forcefully pressed his lips to her own. Rinoa's eyes widened, but then she appeared to faint. Zell obediently carried her away.

* * *

In mortal time it would be considered about one day, the amount of time that passed. Squall had once again slept most of it away, but was called down to guard Rinoa in her cell. Guard her from the lesser demons, he supposed, and from herself. 

Squall entered her cell without her noticing. He slipped into a dark corner and hid himself with a spell. Rinoa looked deathly pale in the dark cell. Her silver wings had turned black and were drooping, and her golden wings lost their shine. Squall watched her for some time. She was concentrating very hard. Suddenly she summoned a tiny ball of holy light and pressed it into her wound, which had turned black but was still bleeding. It healed it very little. She was sweating and panting, as if the effort was extremely strenuous.

Rinoa was exhausted but had to continue. She had to heal this wound or she risked her health and wellness. There were other small wounds that needed healing, but this was the direst of them all. It stretched from her left wrist, where it was deepest, to her elbow. It would not heal properly because it was a demonic wound, and was still bleeding at an alarming rate. But with her holy powers it should have set well.

Suddenly a gloved hand covered her wounded arm, and she hissed in pain and looked up. She found herself nose to nose with Squall Leonhart himself. She sucked in her breath and stared into his cloudy eyes. There was silence, and then he spoke.

"My Lord Seifer has cast a spell on you, restricting your powers. The chains you wear are demonic. It is a miracle that you are able to summon anything at all. You shouldn't use all of your energy now. Get some rest. And if you show utmost deference, Lord Seifer will not be as harsh. None of us want you hurt. He _will_ hurt you if you do not comply." Squall retreated to his corner. Rinoa looked down to see that her wound was completely healed.

The dungeon door opened suddenly and Seifer himself entered. He looked down at her where she sat, chained, and she stared back with double the intensity. It appeared that she wouldn't heed Squall's advice.

"Have you decided to cooperate? Will you show me the respect I deserve? Obey my command? I can only release you once you pledge yourself wholly and utterly to me." Seifer's eyes and voice were so cold and left no room for argument.

"I will _never_ be yours! I will _never_ allow you to control me and I will not obey you! Cast me into oblivion; I do not care! I _never_ want to have to see you ever again!" She glared defiantly at him. After this outburst, Seifer struck her.

"That fire in your spirit will have its uses. But you will _never_ raise your voice to me! I am King! I am your superior! My command is law! You will be mine; you will learn the ways of Hell!" Once again he quickly pressed his lips to hers, his hand on the back of her head buried into her hair and putting tremendous pressure on her. Squall could see her cringe. Seifer stood and left at length. Irvine came to relieve Squall of his duty. As he left, he saw that she was weeping, her fragile hand placed over her mouth, blackened wings drooping. Something stirred within him, and he returned to his quarters with a plan.


	4. Rescue

Disclaimer: I do not own FF VIII or any characters

The Price We Pay

Chapter III

* * *

The chains that bound her ankles and wrists had something in them suppressing her power, Rinoa mused. They must have thought her dangerous. Try as she might, she could not summon more than a tiny bit of power. It was not even enough to heal her wounds. And her wings continued to blacken with each passing day. Her eyes had lost their sparkle, and Rinoa's skin was ashen. Her white robes were discolored, and she hardly had the strength to move anymore. 

From time to time Seifer would storm in and demand her obedience, which Rinoa haughtily refused. She never ran out of strength to defy him. But each time he would capture her lips with his own, and when he left she felt weaker. She was not sure how much longer she could resist him. Zell and Irvine, as she knew they were called, watched her intently and tried to persuade her to bend to Seifer's will. She adamantly refused.

Squall, however, simply sat in silence and observed her, sometimes healing a strange or dangerous wound of hers. He hardly said a word, but from time to time told her to put herself out of her misery and obey "Lord Seifer." He never watched when Seifer came into the room, but retreated to his dark corner until Seifer left.

All this Rinoa thought of as she examined the chains about her. It hurt to lift her arms or legs much. Squall was guarding her, and he watched her intently. It was becoming harder and harder to breathe, so Rinoa dropped her arms to the ground. She still had not lost her angelic beauty, even in her current state. She closed her eyes, and fell into darkness.

* * *

"My Lord, you cannot keep her down there like this. She is weakening far too quickly. She may completely fade away if you continue to abuse her like this." 

"What I do with her is none of your concern Squall."

"But my Lord, she cannot even heal her wounds. The demonic energies are infecting her. Her wings are black!"

"Her black wings have nothing to do with… never mind. Squall, once she gives me the reverence I require, she will be allowed to move from the dungeon and take her place beside me. Until then, however, she will suffer as she deserves. Now I believe Irvine is guarding her. Take his place. I will come with you to see if things have changed."

The walk to the dungeon was silent. Seifer all but pranced; seeing his prize submit to him would give him utmost satisfaction. Squall only hoped that she was not destroyed first. If she was, her soul would be in contention. Seifer could take it and mold it for his own purposes. But it would take an awful lot for her to diminish. While immortal in theory, weapons or poisons _could_ kill any of them. Squall was so deep in thought that it was not until Irvine acknowledged him that he returned from his mind.

"My dear," Seifer was saying, "You do not have to put yourself through this. All you must do is submit yourself entirely to me, and you could become my _queen_. Lord Seifer, King of Hell, and Lady Rinoa, Queen. I would heal you myself. Your wings would stay black, of course, and your garments would be changed to black as well. White such as yours is not fitting for one in this realm. But you would be liberated. You could be free from this dungeon." He held out his gloved hand and caressed her cheek. Rinoa jerked her head away and attempted to bite him. He withdrew his hand in fury.

"I would spend the rest of my existence in this terrible dungeon than submit to you! You are a worthless coward! I would never betray Edea or anyone else! Day after day you ask me the same question, and my answer is always the same," She laughed bitterly. "I will _die_ before I obey a demon, much less you!"

She would have continued, but Seifer raised his hand to strike her. As she braced herself, no pain came. She slowly opened her eyes to see Squall straining, holding Seifer's hand at the wrist, stopping the blow just inches away from her face. He was shaking with the effort of preventing Seifer from striking her.

"My Lord, she is too weak." Squall's voice was strained and he was clearly weakened. The fact that he held Seifer for as long as he had was amazing. Rinoa saw firsthand just how much power Seifer had over the others.

"Squall, you may leave. I wish to be alone with my _dear Rinoa_. You may return in one hour and resume your duties." His voice burned with cold fury.

"I obey you command, My Lord. But please show mercy. She does not understand."

Squall released his hold on Seifer's wrist and left. Seifer stood still, glaring down at his captive.

* * *

"You are Squall Leonhart. Seifer commands you. You are a High Demon Knight. She is an Arch Angel. We are sworn enemies. It is not your place to protect her." Irvine always had some worldly sense of reason, and now he was trying to calm the furious Squall. 

"I know this, and yet I feel I must protect her from him. Rinoa does not deserve this. No one does. I am powerless to save her." Squall could not shake his need to save her.

"Squall, you're just going to have to let it be. It's her fault. I hate Seifer, you know that, but he is strong. You can't take him. I know you always wanted to play the hero, but not this time, man. He'll kill you if you oppose him too much."

"Zell, when is your next watch?" Squall suddenly changed the subject.

"Well, you still have yours, and then Irvine has another shift. My next one won't be until late tomorrow. Why?"

"I was just wondering. I finally recovered from Seifer's onslaught to my mind. Do you want to spar during Irvine's shift?" Zell's eyes widened slightly. Squall's abrupt manner was odd.

"… Sure Squall. But you haven't asked me to spar in a long time."

"I know, but I want to get my edge back. I haven't fought in a while and especially since Seifer disabled me. I need to make sure my sword arm is set." Zell accepted the reasoning and he began to practice.

* * *

The time seemed to endlessly stretch on before a messenger came to tell Squall that Seifer wanted him back guarding Rinoa. When Squall went to take his post, Seifer stormed out and nearly knocked Squall over without noticing. His lower lip was bleeding the black demonic blood; the blood of one so utterly corrupted there was no turning back. Apparently things had not gone well. 

Rinoa had never looked worse. Squall had to say that her wounds were worse than when she arrived. There was a long slash on the left side of her neck, stretching from her collarbone up to her ear. On her right cheek was the mark of a demon's touch. There was a dark wound that was festering and oozing strange, fiendish fluids. Squall knew that Seifer had touched her with his bare hands, something no one so pure could handle. Only the tainted hands of the King of Hell could cause so much damage to an angel. There were similar monstrous wounds all over her, and everything about her was in disarray. Her wings were all bent at odd angles, one was torn near the point it met her back. Rinoa looked up at Squall with sorrowful, defeated eyes.

"You may as well kill me, Squall Leonhart. I would rather die than submit to him. I feel that I am not far from it. I would cry, but I have not the strength."

Squall could not bear to see her like this after his silent vow to protect her. He could use very little strength, for his reserve was needed for later. Even so, he healed the worst of her wounds. Her set her wings straight and tried to heal all of the beastly lacerations.

"Do not try to heal yourself anymore. This new magic that Lord Seifer has placed upon you and your chains will harm you if you do. Such magic as this only works in this citadel." When he said it, a slight realization struck him; this would make his plans easier.

"Thank you," she was whispering now, "For all of this. It is a shame; you would have made a lovely angel." She smiled and closed her eyes.

"Pity." Squall retreated to his darkness, the wheels in his mind turning as he watched her rest.

* * *

After Squall and Irvine had switched posts, Squall passed the throne room. Seifer was there along with several lesser demons. Squall peered in and watched as Seifer drew his gunblade and destroyed them all. His eyes burned with the fire of hatred, and Squall knew that he was losing patience. Rinoa did not have much time before Seifer decided to destroy her for her insolence. Squall was unsure if Seifer felt her worth all of this trouble. Seifer was not used to being treated in such a way. The King could simply destroy her and take his chances with taking her soul before the angels did. Sighing, Squall went to his quarters to retrieve his gunblade and find Zell. He was going to set in motion his carefully laid plans. 

Zell was waiting for him in their room. Squall grinned when he saw how eager his young friend was. Zell had arrived one century after Squall and a few decades after Irvine, but was skilled enough to become the third High Demon Knight. Zell always had felt the need to prove himself, often picking fights with Squall and Irvine. While Irvine calmly ignored Zell, Squall hardly ever did. They fought many times in the beginning. In retrospect, that was how he and Squall became comrades and sparring partners. Zell was an excellent fist fighter, and as such made a better hand-to-hand combat partner than Irvine, who used a rifle. Fights between Squall and Irvine hardly ever exerted either of them.

Squall hefted his gunblade over his shoulder and followed Zell to one of the training rooms. Zell demanded that all others in the room leave, which they did with no protest. Squall immediately launched into a complicated series of blows as soon as their duel began. From the start, Zell was outclassed. Squall was always much better than Zell but did not let on to it. Squall used little energy, but Zell tired quickly of blocking the seemingly endless chain of blows from the gunblade. He did not escape unscathed. After one particularly malicious slice to his leg, he held up his hands in surrender, panting heavily. His leg was bleeding the black blood of demons corrupted beyond assistance.

"Squall I have to stop. Seifer wouldn't be pleased if I didn't show up for my shift because you injured me too badly."

"Sorry Zell. I suppose I was carried away."

"No it's all right. It was the heat of battle. It's only a flesh wound anyway, nothing serious. You've gotten a lot better."

"You have too Zell." Zell waved him off and began to heal his leg. Squall made a small gesture and accompanied Zell to his post, then went with Irvine as he left the cell and they returned to their room.

Irvine placed is hat over his face and soon Squall could tell he was sleeping. Squall stealthily made his way to the throne room and observed Seifer seated on the throne with his eyes closed. Squall concluded that he was doing his meditating, which he only did when he was extremely upset or he felt something dreadful was going to happen. Squall decided that the time was now for his plan. With Zell fatigued and Seifer and Irvine otherwise occupied, Squall would have the perfect opportunity.

Moving to the corridor closest to the dungeon, he prepared himself. He created, with his dark magic, the image of what lay inside the dungeon. Rinoa was there, a frail doll but looking better than she had been. Zell was distracted, busy with healing the abrasion on his leg. Squall was pleased that he had saved so much strength, for if ever it was needed, it was now. Summoning his power, he murmured a spell, and in his image the chains holding Rinoa shattered.

Immediately he felt slightly weakened; it would have been easier if he had been closer. Zell hesitated, unsure of what to do. Rinoa gathered her wits and summoned a blast, taking advantage of his hesitation and knocking Zell off his feet. The power-binding chains were gone, yet she was not at full strength. Squall was slightly puzzled but had little time to think on this. He quickly made himself scarce until the alarmed and frenzied message from Seifer arrived demanding that he come to the throne room.

When Squall arrived, Zell and Irvine were already there, Zell leaning on his companion. Seifer had once again worked himself into a fit. He eyed Squall with something Squall could not detect, and quickly began his speech.

"How could this have happened? She was too weak to even move and now this? Zell let her escape! Irvine, Squall, fix your companion's mess. Bring Rinoa back, and bring her directly to me!" As all three prepared to leave, Seifer called Squall to stay.

"My Lord Seifer, if I do not hurry she might escape."

"What has weakened you so, my Knight?"

"I was sparring with Zell before his shift. It was taxing on both of us."

"You knew he was going to need his strength, did you not? Why choose now?"

"With all due respect Lord Seifer, I hardly thought Rinoa capable of breaking the chains, much less getting past Zell. She has not shown any indication of her powers."

"Except that she healed all of the worst wounds on her body. I find it odd that she cannot move with ease, yet has enough power to cleanse a demonic wound. Does it not seem bizarre?" Seifer's eyes had such terrible intensity that Squall had to look away. "I swear to you Squall that if I did not need you to contain her I would strike you where you stand for your insolence."

"My Lord, I do not understand."

"Just find her and bring her back. You will see what she endures for escaping me." Squall frowned deeply and left the throne room. He cursed himself for his obvious behavior. He had underestimated his lord. Seifer had figured out that Rinoa was not responsible for her own escape. It was a mistake he should care not to make again.

* * *

Never had there been so many twisting halls in one place. Rinoa continued to run, turning into only halls that led upwards. She was panting now. The lesser demons were easy to take care of, but there was no telling when she would run into one of the Knights… or Seifer. 

She came to a halt at the split in the hall. She had been able to get by on going in halls that sloped upwards, but here both choices fit. Both led her up, but she was unsure of which to take. She could feel an insanely furious and strong demonic presence gaining on her, and perceived it to be the dreaded Seifer.

"Light of my heart, please guide me out of this dreaded place!"

Rinoa could feel a presence, almost holy, in the hallway to her left. She had no time to think, she simply took off into that hallway. She quickened her already blistering pace and finally came to an open, circular room. Across the room she could see that there was a door. Rinoa sprinted towards it. She turned her head to look over her shoulder and saw that nothing was behind her. But suddenly she collided with an unseen force and went sprawling to the ground. Looking up with fearful eyes she found herself at the feet of Squall Leonhart, his eyes intense and with purpose. She felt all hope leave her as she eyed his malicious gunblade.

* * *

Squall was torn between his unexplainable need to save her and his desire to stay in Seifer's favor. If he caught her, surely his position would be once again esteemed. Seifer's wrath would be forgotten. He had seen Seifer's wrath and did not want to endure it himself. He supposed he should have thought this through more, but his desire to save Rinoa made him act more on impulse than reason. Squall closed his eyes for but a few seconds while Rinoa struggled weakly to her feet. He swung his gunblade down and she closed her eyes, waiting for the deathblow. It never came. She looked behind her to see Seifer himself standing at the entrance of the room. Squall moved forward, placing himself between the two. He turned his head to speak to her. 

"Rinoa, you had better leave swiftly. I do not know how long I can hold off my Lord Seifer." Rinoa nodded and whispered words of gratitude.

"You are no demon, Squall Leonhart. I thank you more than you know." He saw her no more as she fled the damned bastion.

Seifer held his own gunblade and slowly approached until he was within fighting distance.

"I offered her everything. I have a sneaking suspicion that she would have accepted had not one demon shown her as much kindness. She was at her breaking point Squall! You have ruined everything! And now," his voice grew dark; "you have sealed her fate."

"I have saved her! No more must she suffer by your hands!"

"You are a fool, Squall Leonhart. I always knew that if ever any were to betray me, _you_ would be the first. For one insignificant angel you have ruined yourself. Even if you do escape me, where will you go? Do you think the angels will accept you for saving Rinoa, even though you led me to her? You led me straight to her Squall, and now you cannot save her…"

"You bastard!" Squall rushed at Seifer and assaulted him with a flurry of blows, all of which the King of Hell easily parried. The sound of the clashing blades resounded in the room. Irvine and Zell arrived, but could do little besides watch the furious battle. They could tell that Squall's already taxed strength was waning, while Seifer was still zealous in continuing. Squall was using two hands on his gunblade, while Seifer required only one. Squall executed a string of complex attacks, just barely nicking Seifer on his arm. It began to bleed ebony, corrupted blood, discoloring his white overcoat. He looked at the wound while Squall recovered, circling him.

"You are very foolish Squall. And know I think there is something you should know. The chains did not contain all of her power. _I_ controlled her powers. I had to directly suppress her powers," he touched his lips, "with my own. I would have given her another dose near the end of Zell's shift, but you ruined that plan. _That_ is why she had the strength to move. One part of my… magic… was wearing off. But," he laughed sardonically, "Another part has started to take affect."

He got no further as Squall charged him. He was reenergized and his blows held more hatred and fury than Seifer knew Squall possessed. After a succession of four blows, Seifer dodged a blow and struck Squall's gunblade, throwing him off balance as he staggered back. Squall gathered himself and charged once more, one hand in front and his gunblade-wielding arm behind him. Seifer grinned and, holding one hand in front of him, blasted Squall with one of his most powerful spells. Even stopping to brace himself, Squall was knocked down. He barely got to his knees, but could do little else. Zell and Irvine watched as Seifer approached his Knight.

"You are no _true_ demon, Squall. You lack enough hatred." Seifer raised his gunblade and Squall's eyes widened in alarm. Grinning malevolently, he brought the blade down, slicing Squall's face across the nose. Crimson blood splattered the floor. Squall kept his head down and blood continued to flow out of the wound. Seifer observed the blood, which showed no signs of the evil present in his own. Seifer placed the tip of his gunblade on Squall's neck, making a small incision and causing it to bleed as well. Squall, out of breath and defeated, glanced up at his smirking lord.

"You should have left her to me, Squall, but you always have to be the hero. Not only did I contain her powers with mine, but something else too." He paused and pressed his blade into Squall's neck, causing the slash to grow in size. "It was not magic, in a sense. It held her powers in check but has another consequence. It was _poison_ Squall, and the second you let her leave my castle, it took effect. Rinoa is _dying_ Squall, and it is because you let her escape."

Squall found some sort of furious strength inside himself and firmly gripped his gunblade. With quickness that astounded even Seifer, he stood and brought his blade in an upward slash that would have struck Seifer's torso had the King of Hell not possessed incredible speed. It caught his face, however, and sliced Seifer in a way opposite his own. With his face bleeding and his gunblade in hand, Squall turned and fled to save Rinoa. He only hoped that he was not too late.


	5. Battle

Disclaimer: I do not own FF VIII or any characters.

* * *

The Price We Pay

Chapter IV

Squall was relieved that Seifer did not immediately follow him. Seifer was somewhat vain in that he would not leave such a superficial wound unattended. Squall could not sense Irvine or Zell as he arrived at the Dream Plane. Taking a moment, he removed his glove and touched his face. Pulling his hand away, he saw the crimson stain on his hands. Feeling a bit of vanity himself, he made to heal the wound. He cursed slightly when he realized that due to the nature of this wound, it would never heal entirely. When he finished, a slim scar was all that remained.

Suddenly Squall felt very foolish for wasting so much time on his appearance. He had to get to Rinoa. Something inside him stirred when he thought of her. He had often seen such things in the dreams of men, this strange stirring in their hearts. This feeling was called, as he had come to understand, "love." Squall perceived it to be the heart's desire to protect someone very close. He was unsure if love would describe his feelings. But Squall certainly felt an unusual, unexplainable attachment to Rinoa. He supposed that spending centuries in Hell with Seifer had left him nearly devoid of such affections, and with one look Rinoa had brought them all back. This was the first angel he had ever had extended contact with, and the need to protect her drove him. These feelings could not be ignored, and Squall had to act on them. He could not bear to see Seifer have her.

A wave of distress abruptly washed over Squall. It was not his own, but it was Rinoa's. She was sending out a call to her fellow Arch Angels. Squall could feel their presence suddenly, but it was far away and moving jaggedly. They did not know where she was. Squall could sense her, but her essence was so slight that if it were Irvine or Zell, they would miss it. She could only send out anguish, not her location. She was fading fast.

Wasting no more time, Squall spread his wings and took flight deep into the Dream Plane. Rinoa had been trying to take the quickest route back to Heaven, the only sanctuary from Seifer. It was a marvel that she had even gotten out of the palace in her state. Squall felt an unexpected and unexplainable rush of satisfaction that Rinoa was very strong willed. As he flew towards her ever weakening essence he noted two things. The first was that there were absolutely no other auras in the Dream Plane besides the ones noted. He supposed Seifer had blocked the pathways so Rinoa could have less of a chance to escape. The second was that Zell and Irvine had arrived without Seifer. This suited Squall, for he could appeal to his comrades in a way he dared not do to Seifer. Irvine, more than Zell, would hear his reasonable plea. Zell would simply wish to spite Seifer. He simply hoped that they felt more loyalty to him than Seifer.

Finally he arrived in a large open area. In the center he could see a figure sprawled out in a strange position, wings askew and black. Her dark wings contrasted with her pale apparel and skin. He quickly approached. Placing his gunblade beside him, Squall slowly lifted Rinoa and held her in his arms. He brushed some stray hair from her face and returned his hand to his side. She stirred slightly. Squall could sense Zell and Irvine slowly making their way towards him. Cursing himself for his stupidity, he mumbled a quick incantation to mask his presence and Rinoa's. The only one who would be able to sense through this spell was Seifer, but Squall felt nothing of his King.

Rinoa coughed lightly, bringing Squall's attention to her. She slowly opened her eyes and looked into Squall's own orbs. She smiled lightly and lifted her hand meekly towards his face. Squall lifted his hand again and grasped her own. He pulled her hand to his face for he could not bear to see her use her own strength. Her smile grew and she tried to speak. She began to cough more violently this time. When the fit subsided she spoke, her voice no more than a whisper.

"I visit many dreams. Many young girls dream of being in distress," she laughed slightly, "and then a handsome knight comes to rescue them. I do not understand why you continue to save me and disobey Seifer," she coughed again, "but I am glad. Even now that Seifer will have all of Hell after me, I am glad that you are my knight."

Squall was surprised that she could speak. He was more surprised, however, at what he said back.

"Rinoa... No matter what happens, even if you become the world's enemy, I'll be your knight." He almost wished he could take the words back; showing such emotion made him vulnerable. Rinoa smiled up at him. Squall was suddenly aware that the darkness was moving closer. It would not take much time for Zell and Irvine to arrive. The angels were moving at a desperate pace, but Squall was unsure if they would get here first. Squall felt more and more rushed to save her. He could not comprehend this, as he usually was cool and collected.

Just as he felt both auras come very close to where he was, he felt both groups hesitate. They must have sensed each other. Squall began to gather a now unconscious Rinoa in his arms and prepared to carry her all the way until the holy powers of Heaven would allow him to carry her no more. As he had her in his arms he spread his wings to take off in the direction of the angels, something pierced his wing. Squall cried out in pain and surprise. A fairly large demonic bolt protruded from his right wing. It disappeared, leaving a hole clean through. Squall turned his head to see Irvine aiming at him with his weapon. There was some tiny familiarity in the situation that Squall pushed aside. Zell stood solemnly behind him. Growling, Squall prepared to take off again.

"If you try to take off, I'll shoot again. And this time it may not be in the wing, Squall."

"Irvine," Squall called behind him, "let this one go. I will not let Seifer win. And I _will_ destroy you if you continue to impede me."

"Squall, we are under direct orders to bring both you and Rinoa back alive. We cannot disobey Seifer's command. You will be forgiven if you return quietly. Every moment you waste means that Seifer grows more and more impatient. Give up."

"I can't do that Irvine. I hope you came for a fight, because I am much stronger than both of you." Squall gently placed Rinoa on the ground and picked up his gunblade. He could feel that the angels had arrived, but they could not get close to Rinoa due to the looming battle. Squall could easily defeat Irvine and Zell at his full strength, but he weakened from the events leading up to this moment. He stood facing the only two whom he had ever trusted. He was the only thing between Rinoa and her certain doom. If he fell now, all would be lost.

Squall never made the first move. It was one of his battle tactics. If one made a move, some sort of weakness would be exposed. He had his gunblade pointed at Zell, who he knew to be impatient. He took one last glance behind him to where Rinoa was a short distance away. Behind her he could see the other angels, who he knew to be Quistis and Selphie. Turning his eyes to his enemies, he waited for their standstill to end.

As he had suspected, Zell charged first. He came, fists flying, at a terrifying speed. Squall easily parried the blow with his gunblade and counterattacked. Zell did a back flip move that served to both dodge and attack Squall. Squall's gunblade was knocked and Squall lost control of it. Zell came to his feet and attempted to punch Squall again, but the latter caught his fist in a bone crushing grip. Sending a blast of dark energy through his hand, Squall repelled Zell a great distance, and his enemy landed hard. Just as he felt a bit safe, Squall hissed in pain. Without his noticing, Irvine had blasted his right wing for a second time. Crimson stained to floor of the plane, and Squall turned in dismay to see Irvine taking aim again.

"That won't be necessary Irvine. I would like to take care of this traitor myself." Squall turned, bewildered, to see Seifer himself standing just in front of Zell, who had stood up at some point. Squall cursed himself for not noticing the strong presence, and for his unfortunate situation. Rinoa remained vulnerable, and Squall's ever-failing strength would not protect her much longer. Squall noted that Seifer could not heal the wound as well, as a thin scar opposite his own adorned his face. Seifer had his gunblade at his side.

"Why do you insist on protecting her from me? Ever since you saw her you have been most insolent. I will give you one last chance. All you need to do to regain my favor is to give Rinoa back to me."

"I will fight you for an eternity than give her back to you. I will protect her with my life, however unworthy I am."

"Why don't you let her angel comrades protect her for you? You are clearly too weak to do anything of worth."

"I don't believe in relying on others."

"You always were somewhat of a loner, even in life. Regardless, I will take her now." Seifer made a hand motion, and all at once the trio attacked Squall. Irvine blasted Squall in his other wing, but Squall was only clipped as he had the perception to dodge the blow. Both Zell and Seifer were coming into range, and another blast came from Irvine. Squall felt insane dread and regret for being unable to fulfill his promise to Rinoa. He closed his eyes and braced himself so that the blows might not kill him, but no blows ever came.

"You have my thanks, Squall Leonhart. Without you, Rinoa would have been lost forever." Squall could not place the heavenly, serene voice. Opening his eyes, he took in the scene. Seifer stood in attacking range, but a strange white light surrounded him. He looked angry and slightly bewildered. He was immobile. Glancing further, he saw that Selphie and Quistis were fighting Irvine and Zell. They were holding their own, most likely due to their rested state. Turning around he saw an ethereal woman with her hands held in front of her, her fair face twisted in concentration. She wore all white and had an other-worldly glow to her. A chain was around her neck, and on the chain there was a ring with an intricate design.

"If my eyes do not deceive me, you are Edea, Ruler of Heaven. But why do you assist me?"

"We have not the time, Squall. I cannot hold Seifer for much longer. His power has grown immensely since we last met in battle. He was not king then. I need you to bring Rinoa to me before I lose control."

Squall would not refuse. The rage in Seifer's face compelled him to be swift. Turning quickly he scooped Rinoa into his arms, while holding his gunblade, and sprinted to Edea. His blasted and useless right wing left a trail of crimson. Edea was straining to contain Seifer. Squall knew nothing of the others.

"How dare you interfere, Edea."

"I would never allow you to continue your twisted plans Seifer. You have not changed in centuries. You are always looking for more power and a larger domain, all the while pulling unwilling pawns into your scheme."

Reaching Edea, Squall laid Rinoa at her feet. Standing, he turned back to Seifer. The white light around him was slightly less than it had been before. To his great relief, Irvine had been taken out of commission and both Arch Angels were teaming up on Zell, who would not last much longer.

"You've trained your angels well, Lady Edea." Squall commented absently.

"I am still wary of you, Squall Leonhart. Are you sure that you are right in betraying your lord? Do you wish to make an enemy out of one so powerful? Will you aid in ending his wrongs?"

"I will fight for an eternity against him. I have harbored ill-will towards him for a long time. He is the reason that I am in Hell, and I cannot forgive him for that. This offense is all I can take. I need to defend Rinoa from him. At the moment, I cannot explain further than that. I care little for what happens after."

Squall was surprised by how much he had revealed. Never had he outwardly shown any animosity towards Seifer before the recent events. Edea said nothing, and Squall assumed that she was contemplating all that he had said. She appeared to know something more than he did; he could not tell what. The light around Seifer was failing now, and he regained some movement. The fury in his eyes was so intense that Squall could feel it at this distance. Quistis and Selphie had taken out Zell and were now simply observing the situation with worried looks.

"Lady Edea, I ask that you and the others leave. I am able to hold off Seifer long enough for you to escape. Please… keep Rinoa safe. I am prepared for the fact Seifer will not spare me. I will not be able to help her if this happens again."

"You are an angel among demons, Squall Leonhart. May the light bless you."

Edea released her hold completely on Seifer. She beckoned for her two Arch Angels to come. Squall held his gunblade ready.

"Squall…" a weak voice called, "be careful." Rinoa had regained consciousness. She looked up at him with tired, weak eyes. Squall felt some strength return with her words. He still did not understand his attachment, but was prepared to protect her with everything he had left. He charged at Seifer, who had finally regained all of his motions and was ready to fight. Quistis and Selphie flashed past. Squall knew that it would take the effort of all three of them to open a way to Heaven again, meaning he had to hold off Seifer for as long as possible.

"You have sealed your fate, traitor! You will die by my blade! All the others that opposed me died the same way!"

Squall and Seifer exchanged blows. As the fight wore on, Squall knew that Seifer was just toying with him. Edea and the others had not yet left, and Squall could sense no weakening in the barrier which prevented their escape. Were they even trying?

"The other traitors were much more fun to fight. Irvine and Zell will take your place and their loyalty will not fail. I will make sure of it. They have seen enough traitors. They were all cast into oblivion!"

"I will not let you strike me down so easily!" Squall brought down his gunblade in a deathblow, but was bewildered to find that Seifer was not where he had been seconds before and was not in his immediate sight. Turning, he saw Seifer approaching the angels at blinding speed. Surely he would kill them all! Without thinking, Squall did the only thing he could.

The barrier was thicker and more difficult than they had thought. It was easy to enter, but nearly impossible to leave. Even Edea could not break through immediately. With the pressure of Squall's existence bearing down upon them, the angels worked to open the portal while Rinoa watched the fight weakly. The two were shouting, but the words were incoherent with distance.

Suddenly Seifer disappeared. Rinoa made a half scream, half groan to warn her saviors. Squall turned around and suddenly disappeared as well. Edea, Quistis and Selphie turned toward the battle. Suddenly Seifer appeared and, with two hands on the hilt, thrust his gunblade at Edea. Edea braced for impact, but none came. Instead, warm liquid splashed onto her clothing and hands. A loud clattering drew their attention. With eyes widening, she gasped at the sight.

There before her, covered in crimson, were her two angels. Neither was injured, but their shock was as great as hers. Rinoa made a pitiful, mournful noise. Squall stood, arms outstretched, facing the angels. His gunblade was on the ground, a short distance from Rinoa. Through his torso protruded most of Seifer's gunblade, the tip ending far before its intended target. Squall's wings drooped and he coughed violently, spraying crimson onto the ground. Blood poured from his mouth and in his eyes there was defeat. It was _his_ blood that covered the angels. Seifer seemed a bit shocked as well.

"You always did have to have a special ending. You cannot simply die normally. Always trying to be the hero, weren't you? And now you can fade in vain. Your sacrifice will not save Rinoa or anyone. You will die away and no one will remember anything you did. You have failed, and now you are a fallen knight."

"Squall…" Rinoa, with tears in her eyes, reached toward Squall. He looked down at her, sorrow and regret in his stormy eyes.

"I'm sorry I wasn't a better knight, Rinoa."

"You were never good enough to beat me, Squall." Seifer realized his mistake of taking it too far, but he recognized too late. Anger makes the weak suddenly strong, and it is dangerous to taunt one who knows that death is impending. Backed into a corner, Squall still had some ferocity. If he was going to die, he was going to make sure that it was not in vain.

"Think again Seifer." It was the first time he had not shown deference to the King. Summoning any essence that he possessed, he turned and blasted Seifer clear across the area of the Dream Plane. With the gunblade still in him, he fell to his knees, clutching the weapon. He fell sideways, the gunblade causing infinite pain as he lay on the ground, waiting to simply fade into oblivion and let his cause be lost.

"Edea… you cannot... let this be… Please… save him…" Rinoa begged her mistress. Seifer was slowly recovering. The blast had left him disoriented and without a weapon. Edea rushed to Squall along with Selphie and Quistis. They removed the bloodstained gunblade as Squall cried out in agony. Their pearly garbs were now scarlet with his blood. Using their combined powers they healed his internal wounds quickly. Seifer was recovering, and soon would come to end this.

"Edea, you know what we must do. We cannot break the barrier and Squall cannot protect us much longer. The other two may wake up as well. We have no choice!" Quistis hurriedly urged her mistress to use the most powerful and sacred technique the angels possessed.

"Lady Edea… I will do it… to defeat Seifer… and break his barrier… please…" Rinoa was sitting up now, even in her weakness. Squall was losing consciousness quickly. Selphie worked on his wound a bit more, and then turned to her Lady. It was enough to allow Squall to remain cognizant. Seifer stalked towards them, wary yet furious.

"We have no choice. Rinoa, if you are ready we may begin. May the light bless you in this and all other endeavors, but this is the greatest task you have had yet."

"I understand… my lady."

Squall struggled to his knees when a wave of nausea washed over him. He clutched his head as blinding pain threatened to tear his skull asunder. Seifer was nearing at a painfully slow pace, almost taunting them.

"You do not know how much you have helped me, Squall. I had planned on changing Rinoa's angelic powers into demonic ones and using her to destroy the angels that stood in my way. But now they are all here. And I can finally destroy Edea and her two subordinates, and still have Rinoa. With her by my side, no realm will escape me. I will control all realms: Heaven, Hell, Dream and Mortal! Your heroics are once again in vain, Squall."

So that had been why he had needed Rinoa. Their power combined, along with that of the three High Demon Knights, would have allowed Seifer to rule everything. Seifer always was ambitious, even in life. Centuries in Hell had not changed him. Squall felt as though he had betrayed the angel that he swore to protect. Seifer would be able to wipe out those who stood in his way, mostly because the angels had spent so much energy saving him. Squall would have spoken if he had had the strength. Suddenly, Selphie spoke.

"You underestimate us, Seifer. We still have one last trick to deal with you."

Squall and Seifer's attention turned toward the angels. Edea, Selphie and Quistis formed a triangle and Rinoa stood in the middle. She seemed to have some sort of strength from determination. Edea stepped up to the Arch Angel and removed her necklace and ring. She placed it on Rinoa and resumed her position in the formation. The three chanted with eyes closed and held their hands in a strange gesture over their hearts. Squall heard Seifer all but whisper in dismay.

"It cannot be!" Seifer's fury had returned full force, along with something Squall had seen only once before in his king's eyes: fear. Squall, however, was inexperienced in the arts of angels and did not understand what was happening.

Rinoa closed her eyes and grabbed the ring around her neck, holding it steadfastly. The three angels glowed in pure light, nearly blinding the two observing demons. Seifer tried to blast them with furious black magic, but the magic was repelled before it was near enough to harm them. Seifer cursed and went for his gunblade, but was unable to lift it. The gunblade was surrounded by light as well, and Seifer could grasp it but could not pick up his weapon. Squall took in the scene with confusion as Seifer tried and tried again to raise his bloodstained weapon. Across the plane Zell and Irvine were shakily rising to their feet.

The angels began to chant different and strange, unrecognizable words. Rinoa released the ring and spread her arms and wings. The poison that had blackened her wings suddenly evaporated. Instead of gold and silver, her wings were now a fiery red color. The ring around her neck burned the same furious shade. The chanting did not stop. A ruby glow formed around her, much like the white light around Seifer's gunblade. The demons could do nothing but watch.

Suddenly Rinoa was lifted into the air by an unseen force. Her wings did not move and the atmosphere was perfectly still, so some sort of magic was the cause. She stayed in the exact same position. Arms and wings spread, eyes closed, feet crossed at her ankles. The sight was magnificent. Squall felt a familiar feeling that he could not name, and could not understand how artistic the scene was. Seifer had stopped struggling with his gunblade. Zell and Irvine had made their way over to the scene, but stayed at a relatively safe distance away. Squall simply watched in awe.

(I feel like a helpless puppet being manipulated in some major scheme. I can do nothing but watch.) Suddenly the chanting stopped and dead silence filled the area. It was Seifer who broke that almost serene pause.

"Irvine, Zell… I've changed my mind. Take care of Squall would you? I have more pressing matters to deal with." Irvine and Zell made ready to finish Squall once and for all, but were interrupted. All four angels suddenly opened their eyes. The trio on the ground was normal, if a little dazed. But Rinoa's eyes smoldered the same intense crimson that surrounded the rest of her body. One could not even see that her eyes were brown. She finally moved, bringing her right hand in front of her and making a fist.

"You will not harm him!" The strength in her voice was not what Squall had ever expected to hear out of such a delicate creature. Around the two attackers was the same light that surrounded Rinoa. They were both struggling intensely, attempting to break out of some invisible hold. Rinoa quickly swung her arm across her chest and back to its original position, releasing her fist just before stopping the movement. Zell and Irvine were sent flying across the plane, slamming hard into the ground. They slowly rose to their feet and cautiously moved back across the plane, taking up a position behind Seifer and doing nothing more. Squall's eyes widened at the display of hostility and protection. Rinoa turned to face Seifer.

"You have pained me enough, Seifer Almasy. May you be consumed by the light!" Rinoa brought both hands before her, clasping them together. A dark red ball of energy formed around them. Seifer's gunblade turned the same livid color. It seemed like an eternity before anything moved. The energy around the gunblade and in Rinoa's hands simply grew. Seifer's eyes kept shifting from the two sources. Irvine and Zell vigilantly stood, motionless, behind their king. Suddenly Seifer made the slightest movement toward Squall, nothing more than a twitch from being so still, and it set off a chain of events like none had ever seen.


	6. Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own FF VIII or any characters.

The Price We Pay

Chapter V

* * *

Seifer immediately regretted his own inability to be still. Rinoa's growing strength was more than he thought she, so fragile not long ago, could have ever possessed. But when he jerked slightly toward Squall, her apparent guardian, he found out just how strong she was.

The ball of energy in Rinoa's hands erupted and suddenly all of the demons, including Squall, were surrounded with the same light. Zell and Irvine fell to the floor of the Dream Plane, crying out in agony. Seifer was able to resist slightly, but soon a blinding and burning pain filled his body. It felt like his skin was on fire! Certain spots felt worse than others, and he began to claw furiously, though not entirely on his own will, at those spots in an attempt to stop the pain. He tore through his gloves and his jacket, which resulted in his arms being torn by his own hands. He only succeeded in doing more damage to himself. The pain did not cease. Growling in frustration, he noticed that Zell and Irvine were in agony as well, but in far worse conditions due to the magic's effect being stronger on them.

The resistance to Rinoa's magic was not nearly as strong for the two Demon Knights; as such they were in the next stage of the assault. Zell, the weakest, felt a sudden surge of animosity directed at Irvine. He could not explain why, but suddenly he felt that Irvine had wronged him in some heinous way and needed to be punished. The pain did not abate, and Irvine had to be the cause of it, his mind reasoned. With furious strength he assaulted his comrade. To his surprise, he was stronger than ever! Irvine, angry at this attack, attacked back. Soon they were matching each other blow for blow. Each was angry at the other for the pain they felt and the attacks on each other. When Irvine blasted Zell with his most powerful shot, Zell retaliated with his strongest uppercut. They were tearing each other apart. And yet, abruptly they both felt the need to attack someone else: Seifer. Their leader was still solely in his own pain. In mid-combo, Zell peeled away from Irvine to slam into Seifer. Taken by surprise, Seifer went flying. As he began to stand, he was blasted in the chest with a powerful dark energy. Coughing so that ebony spilled from his lips, Seifer stood and dodged the next flurry of blows. He too was stronger, but double teamed he could barely keep up with his bloodthirsty subordinates. Without his gunblade, he would have to rely on magic and his own fists. When Zell came close enough, he blasted him with his ultimate spell, sending Zell flying into Seifer's other assailant. Neither stood again, but they both looked like they were trying to. The pain had inexplicably vanished.

Suddenly, Seifer's limbs grew incredibly heavy; so heavy that he could no longer stand. As he sunk to the ground, he could see Squall surrounded in the same light. Yet he was not in pain. Suddenly, a searing agony rushed through his head so quickly that he felt his body would be torn asunder. He could feel burning in his throat and in his wings. His body erupted with grotesque wounds and impossibly large lacerations. Growling in agony, he could hear Irvine and Zell in their pain. Seifer wondered why, if he was surrounded in the same light, Squall felt no pain. Darkness began to creep into the corners of his vision; he absently realized that the pain he felt now must have been what the poison and demon touches did to Rinoa. He wondered how she had endured for so long…

* * *

For his part, Squall merely watched. He was still too weak to do anything. He felt strange warmth surround him. Looking at his hands, he saw that the red light surrounded him as well and panicked slightly. Had Rinoa sensed him a demon and decided that he should share Seifer's fate? But the warmth did not fade. Along with it came a calm feeling. Squall closed his eyes and let the light embrace him. His eyes shot open at the first notion of pain. Looking down, however, the panic faded. His wounds were being healed! He smiled to himself as the slight pain of the reconstruction of his wounded body ebbed away. He felt much better instantly.

Suddenly, a searing pain entered Squall's mind. His damn connection with Seifer! Seifer was sending the pain through his mind! Squall would have done something, but suddenly the red light that had become increasingly visible dimmed. Glancing around, Squall could see the Seifer was barely conscious. Zell and Irvine did not move. Ripping his gaze from them, he saw that Rinoa looked as if her strength was fading.

"Rinoa, you must leave now! This is the only chance you have!" Edea called out to the angel high above them. Terror was clear in her voice. Nodding, Rinoa brought her right hand before her in a fist. Bringing her left hand in front of her, open palm, she wrapped it around her enclosed fist. The gunblade that had remained out of most of the action suddenly lifted into the still air. Rinoa simultaneously turned her hands counterclockwise and brought her arms over her left shoulder. It looked as though she had an invisible gunblade in her hands and was going to wield it. In one fluid movement, she brought her arms to her right hip and released her hands. Quistis and Selphie watched with clear worry etched onto their angelic features.

The gunblade flew through the air at a blinding speed. It smashed into the barrier not far from where Rinoa floated. In a brilliant display of red and black, the blockade was cracked with a loud resonance. Beyond the hole that it made, one could see a glowing blue light. The gap was not very large and it seemed to get slightly smaller by the second. Squall could only watch.

"No!" Seifer called out through his agony, but he still could not stand. He could feel his own barrier weakening. But he understood this power. It did not bode well for him now. The whole in the barrier felt like a whole in his own injured flesh. So much of his power was in that barrier.

Rinoa returned her arms to her sides. Palms facing outward, she closed her flaring eyes. Suddenly tendrils of crimson shot from her body and wings in a dazzling show. All the wisps of energy came back towards her at a sickening speed and appeared to be going into her chest. Squall looked closer and saw that all of the energy was going into the ring she wore around her neck. Rinoa's wings turned white and her eyes remained closed. Her body looked limp and weak compared to the display that everyone had just witnessed. Her white wings wrapped around her and, with no clear force helping her, she flew towards the opening and was absorbed by the light.

Seifer cursed as he slowly began to regain mobility. Squall rushed over to Quistis, who was preparing to enter the ever-closing breach in the barrier.

"Quistis, what is going on?"

"I'll explain later Squall. Just go through the void and find Rinoa!"

Although it made little sense to him, Squall spread his wings and leapt headfirst into the unknown. Quistis and Selphie were right behind him, already knowing where they had to meet. It crossed Quistis's mid that Squall had no idea where to look for Rinoa, but she would have to deal with that later.

* * *

As Seifer regained the use of his lost limbs, he watched the trio disappear and the chasm close behind them. He cursed again and dispelled the already insanely weakened barrier, ignoring Edea completely. The Ruler of Heaven vanished, Seifer's magic no longer inhibiting her exit. Irvine and Zell had just now regained their strength; they had seen the last display. Seifer knelt on the ground, breathing heavily. Suddenly his gunblade came spinning out of nowhere and landed before him. He called his knights before him.

"Lord Seifer," Irvine began slowly, "what are we to do?"

"Heal yourselves well, my knights. We are going to take back Rinoa and kill Squall for a final time. I will make sure that his soul is destroyed so that he may no longer bother me."

"But Seifer, won't Rinoa be prepared and ready to attack you when we find her?"

"No Zell, she will not have the strength to defeat me. You are young in the art of angels. That spell is very strong, but it comes at a great cost. She cannot remember anything of her true nature. All of her power is sealed in that ring that she wears on her neck. Without her knowledge, she will be weak and easy to take. She is a poor, lost lamb. And now we must go find her."

"To Heaven then?"

"No, Zell, not to Heaven. She and Squall have gone to the Mortal Realm."

* * *

How long had it been since he had come here? Squall could not remember. In Mortal time it could not have been longer than two hundred years. But centuries in Heaven and Hell had passed. Squall shook the thought away. His demonic powers were full and complete now that he was healed. Squall used his recovered strength to once and for all rid himself of Seifer's mind link. Mustering as much strength as he could, Squall dispelled the aura that Seifer had placed inside his mind. He felt significantly weaker. Looking at the lush green land where he stood, Squall saw that this little display of demonic power had cost the land. The grass turned to blight where he stood and any living thing turned to ash.

Quickly, Squall did several things. First, it was much colder here than in Hell; his demon uniform, which he felt no pleasure in wearing anymore, did little against the harsh chill of the wind. He had gotten used to the infernal heat of Hell. He used some energy to change the clothing that he had on. A familiar outfit graced him, but it felt strange after such disregard. Black boots, black pants with several extra belts, black gloves, a white shirt and a fir lined jacket graced his form. All of his clothing felt strangely heavy. A pendent adorned his neck. He had named the beast on it: Griever. Squall remembered bitterly why he had named it that way.

Black tendrils of energy emanated from his hand, similar to Rinoa's red ones but with much less magnitude. They slowly snaked their way through the still air and into Griever. This would protect the land from decay and protect him from anyone who could sense the darkness inside him. In his life he had had the uncanny ability to sense things that others could not; this ability had carried over into death. He kept some of his inhuman strength; it would serve him well in this unkind world. He sat down and leaned against a nearby tree, angry that such simple tasks now left him feeling tired. He would have to rest.

Squall now took a chance to take in his surroundings. They were largely unchanged from the last time he had seen them, if only now they were a little greener. Behind him lay the vast expanse of a forest, but it was silent now. Creatures had sensed his presence. Before him was a clearing perfectly bare of anything but grass. It was perfectly circular and not very large. Squall sighed as he looked forward. All around was the forest except for this spot. Glancing upward, he laughed acrimoniously; it was a full moon.

How artistic this place was. The perfect serenity had drawn him here many times before. The setting was perfect. And here he was again in this tranquil place, resting before he finished his cause. Two monumental events had occurred here in his life. The first, he could not remember clearly, a fact which neither escaped nor pleased him. The second event had been less clear when it had happened, but had left such an impact and had led him to many things. The second event… Touching his forehead with index and middle fingers, just above his scar, Squall let his memories take hold of him for a while. Smiling sadly, he closed his eyes and let the scene once again be burned into his memory. But how could he forget this place?

After all, this was the place where he had died.

* * *


	7. Flashback

Disclaimer: I do not own FF VIII or any characters used. I like to incorporate real events and lines into the story. Oh and I don't actually know moon patterns. I make them up. Sorry I don't update with any regularity. My spell-check isn't working either.

The Price We Pay

Chapter VI

(Flashback)

* * *

Twilight was his favorite time of day, Squall decided. The air was perfect to just inhale deeply and close his eyes. The lighting was so serene and gentle. He could just be alone with himself. It was the perfect time to go for a walk to clear his head. And that was exactly what Squall needed right now. 

It was a bit cooler tonight than it had been the last time he had gone on a mission and had to reflect. Other members of SeeD, Balamb Garden's special armed forces, got together and went drinking or just talked about the good times they'd had. But Squall was content to be alone, as he had been for eighteen years. Sometimes he would talk to Seifer, his only "friend" and the only other gunblade wielder, but Seifer was the commander of the mission tomorrow and would be busy with briefing details. Besides, Seifer had a way of turning conversation in his own direction, talking about his plans for the future, all of which were ridiculously ambitious. Seifer had a lot of things already planned out, even though his twentieth birthday was not for some time. No, tonight, Squall was content to let silence be his only companion.

As Squall made his ritual walk to the beach that was not too far from Balamb, he thought about his past. For as long as he could remember, he had been alone. When he had been young, he lived in an orphanage with no memory of his parents. When the orphanage life went sour, he fled and he grabbed the first weapon he could get his hands on: a gunblade. Teaching himself to wield such an obscure weapon had been extremely difficult; he still sported scars from minor mishaps. But learn to wield it he did, and Squall made a name for himself and was recruited by Balamb Garden to train. At first it was only a place to sleep, but he became attached to the first place that offered certainty to him. Then he met Seifer and the two became training partners. Seifer was slightly more skilled then Squall on account of his extended training, but Squall had natural talent and was skilled as well. When Seifer became a squad commander, Squall was given the task of protecting Seifer as his first bodyguard. This was what brought him here.

The beach looked so gorgeous tonight, bathed in the light of twilight. Squall seated himself on the sandy shore and looked out as the small waves gently caressed the shore. Squall wished that he had his small set of paints with him; this was the perfect picture to paint. Seifer always teased Squall about his painting, but Squall was very artistic and appreciated a good scene. Once, Seifer had asked him to make a portrait of himself. The picture of Seifer came out looking darker than Squall had intended; Seifer looked somewhat evil and was scowling. But Seifer had been quite pleased, even though Squall was not. Seifer had kept the drawing but still teased Squall whenever Squall lingered in a spot too long admiring the beauty. He pushed the thought of painting away and focused on the mission that would be at hand.

Squall pulled his black, fur lined jacket closer to him as the air began to get cooler by the water. Tomorrow Seifer and his squad of nine other men, Squall included, would travel on foot to go after an extremely dangerous target named Gutsco who had somehow managed to harness the power of the fearsome beast, Bahamut. The man needed to be eliminated and Bahamut stopped. Another squad would be coming to cut off any escape routes and assist Seifer's squad, but they would arrive later since they had a longer way to go. Something nagged him about Guardian Forces such as Bahamut, but he could not place it. Squall wished that Seifer would take more men with him, but Seifer indicated that too many men would hinder his squad. He brushed off his companion with ease, but Squall was still unsure.

Squall had been on many missions with Seifer, sometimes just the two of them. Squall found Seifer to be somewhat impulsive. Squall had seen many good men lost due to Seifer's impatience. But Seifer's skill was so valuable that many of the commanders at the Garden ignored the loss of lesser soldiers, which served only to feed Seifer's actions. Whenever Squall brought it up, Seifer shrugged it off and said that sacrifices had to be made to feed ambition. And Squall would never tell anyone this, but he could _see_ the darkness in Seifer. He could _feel_ that Seifer's very soul was more twisted than almost every other person in the Garden. And Seifer always talked about how he was going to Hell anyway and that he might as well enjoy his time here to the fullest extent if he was going. He seemed almost as if he _wanted_ to go to the eternal fires. Squall sometimes felt uncomfortable in his presence, but Seifer was his only companion. Squall was not very good at making acquaintances who wanted to remain around his stoic demeanor. But that didn't bother him. All he needed was solitude.

Squall felt a shady presence behind him as twilight turned to dusk and the light began to fade. Even though he could find his way back in the dark, Seifer had come to retrieve him. Seifer always came to retrieve him before missions. Once, Seifer had sent a younger soldier to retrieve Squall, but when the soldier tapped Squall on the shoulder, the gunblade wielder nearly killed him. Squall, always ready to defend himself, had quickly wrestled the unsuspecting soldier to the ground and held his sharp blade to his throat before realizing that it was not an enemy. Ever since, Seifer had come to get him and never touched Squall. He came when he was ready. Without a word, Squall stood and brushed the clinging sand from his dark pants and turned to follow his commander back. Seifer waited until his slightly younger companion was beside him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"We've got a tough day tomorrow. Bahamut is no pushover and if things don't go as planned it'll be a tough fight. I hope you're ready to go to Hell, because that's exactly where this battle's going." As Seifer laughed, Squall remained quiet. It was not in his nature to say anything right now. As the two arrived back at the Garden, Seifer bid goodbye to Squall and went to the commander's dorms. Squall went to his single room and sharpened his gunblade before lying down and drifting into a deep sleep.

* * *

Squall had never needed an alarm clock, even though he was eighteen and most teenage soldiers had gotten up late more than once because their alarms had failed them. Squall woke up at the same time every morning, which he attributed to his early years when he was training. Slipping into his carefully tailored and fitted mission uniform, Squall mentally prepared himself for the mission. People were going to die. He had to accept that. It was part of his job to kill people, and he was tolerating that. If he could rid the world of monsters, no price was too high. Glancing at the clock in his room, he saw that he still had an hour until the mission briefing would start. He polished his gunblade for half of that time, than gathered it and left his room. 

On his way to the mission briefing he met up with the other eight members of his bodyguard squad. All clad in the same uniform, they made quite a sight. Seifer was, as usual, nowhere to be found. When the nine soldiers arrived for their mission briefing, they waited silently, solemnly. At exactly the time the briefing was to begin, Seifer arrived in his traditional commander's uniform which consisted of a long white coat with red crosses on the side and black pants and shirt underneath. He grinned casually and sat down.

The mission plan was simple. Gutsco, who controlled Bahamut, stayed in a remote town that had been abandoned and decimated not far from Balamb. Seifer's squad would depart from Balamb on foot and go towards the front. The squad was relatively small so as to avoid attention. They were to remain hidden until they were given confirmation from the other squad, who would block any escape routes. The other squad, double the size of their own, would take most of the day to reach their position, so Seifer's squad had to move slowly and be patient. They were to engage the target by surprise, thus avoiding the calling of Bahamut. Squall sighed. He had been afraid that a mission involving such a legendary creature would be difficult. But this seemed like nothing. He tried to push away the nagging feeling that had resurfaced. He just hoped that Seifer would follow orders.

While the other members of the squads were preparing to leave, Seifer came up to Squall. In his hand he held a pendant of sorts. Squall recognized it as one he had identified on one of the rare occasions where he and Seifer had been together in a shop. It looked like the head of a lion on a cross shaped bottom. It was very artistic and Squall couldn't resist staring. Squall had earned the reputation of being somewhat lion-like in his demeanor, and this artistic lion trinket pleased him. Squall had spent some time looking at it before Seifer teased him about liking jewelry. Angry at himself, Squall had ignored the urge to get the trinket. Seifer came up to him now and tossed it to him. Squall caught it and stared at it in his hands before glancing at the grinning commander.

"I figured you might like it, since you like jewelry and art or whatever. Just don't go staring at it on the mission okay? I was going to wait until we got back, but I decided it might give you some confidence. It's a good luck charm. You're a good bodyguard. I'm sure you won't let it get in the way of you protecting me."

Seifer tossed Squall a cocky, lopsided grin and went on giving words of encouragement, in his own odd way, to the other squad members. His cheerful gesture of friendship before this mission bothered Squall. Seifer _wasn't _friendly. He was always pompous and arrogant. It seemed to suggest that after this mission, nothing would be the same between them. Squall hesitantly put the pendent on, silently brooding about the mission.

* * *

Waiting was the worst part of any mission, especially with Seifer as the commander. His impatience had a way of rubbing off on everyone in the squad, but Squall was immune to the infection. He sat silently with his gunblade at his side, trying to recall everything he knew about Guardian Forces. The sun had barely been up when they had arrived, and yet now it had almost completed its rotation. Sunset was approaching. Seifer's impatience radiated off of him as he paced. 

"What could be taking the other squad so long?"

"Commander, you need to calm down." Squall always showed respect to his superiors. It was in his nature to follow rules and show deference, but Seifer was becoming dangerously impatient.

"The sun is setting. We leave now! Prepare for the assault!"

"With all due respect, sir, we haven't gotten a signal from the other squad yet!" Squall was outraged -though not entirely surprised- when Seifer was going to disobey orders again. He was about to radio in to the Garden to tell them, but Seifer stopped him.

"You are under my direct command, Leonhart. You _will_ follow this order."

"Yes sir." Squall gave in and gathered his weapon. Seifer led the charge.

What none of the people at Balamb Garden or Seifer's squad had anticipated was that Gutsco would be prepared. When the squad was able to see the ruins clearly, they were surprised to see that there were hired mercenaries there. Drawing their weapons, the squad rushed in, Seifer at the head leading the assault. The mercenaries charged, Gutsco nowhere to be seen. Squall sadly noted that it was twilight.

Outnumbered three-to-one, Seifer's squad battled against Gutsco's men. They were trained in this type of situation, so they had an easy time of defeating the less trained men. Seifer shouted to them that the other squad had arrived, turning the numbers in their favor. They were sure to win now, if only they could find Gutsco.

But suddenly the sky turned black. Clouds gathered, lightning flashed violently and thunder boomed. Squall's eyes widened in horror. Emerging from the sky was the beast of legend: Bahamut. The beast wasted no time in opening its great maw and forming a large fireball. Shooting of several small blasts into the crowd of soldiers, both SeeD and mercenary fell to the blast. Bahamut cared for no life. Squall looked to see Seifer watching in distraught rage. Suddenly he turned and saw Gutsco, who was laughing at the fallen men. Seifer charged with all of his strength.

Realization hit him hard. There had been a detail, a long time ago, in their studies that had been so minute that no instructer paid it much mind. It was only mentioned in passing from time to time. The only reason Squall knew about it was that he had read all of his texts from top to bottom, as he was commanded. One would never _know_ the detail unless they had read it, and many students neglected to study as Squall did. But this small fact changed everything. It had been nagging Squall, pulling at the back of his mind the entire time. And now he remembered: when the master of a Guardian Force is killed while that force is summoned, the beast will go berserk for a short period time. In a furious rage it will destroy all it sees, then return peacefully to its place of origin when the spell has passed. Glancing at his commander, Squall saw that Seifer was about to run Gutsco through with his gunblade from behind. Running towards him, barely dodging a blast and a swipe of Bahamut's claws that would have cleaved flesh from his bones, Squall tried to stop Seifer from killing Gutsco.

"Seifer, no!"

But his cry was lost by the scream of the now enraged Bahamut. Seifer removed his bloodied blade and turned his head toward the sky. Bahamut drew in energy in such a massive quantity that the ground shook. A blast of concentrated energy shattered the ground, causing a massive explosion. Squall brought his gunblade before him as if to block the attack, but the last thing he saw was light, then utter darkness claimed him.

* * *

Squall wasn't sure what brought him out of his unconscious state. His head hurt dreadfully and he was certain that several ribs were broken and that his leg and his arm were injured very badly. He performed a quick healing spell with all of the strength he had left, hoping it would sustain him until help arrived. Lifting himself off of the ground, he sought to survey the damage. The only light he had to work by was the light of the full moon, which illuminated the battlefield with a ghostly pale glow. 

The scene left him speechless. Bodies were everywhere. Blood stained the broken earth. Never had he been so reminded of his mortality than in this moment. The ground was torn from the massive claws of the beast, while flesh and blood were strewn about the ground. Everything was smoldering from the flames of Bahamut. Squall felt nauseated by the sight and smell. He held it in with great difficulty.

Limping slowly through the death field, he came across a gruesome sight. Just before him lay Seifer, his body torn to bloody ribbons from his waist down. His face looked strange, contorted into shock and rage. His eyes were harshly clenched shut. His gunblade arm was torn; flesh and muscle shredded and the bone could be seen. His other arm was skewered at an odd angle, and Squall swore that he could see the sharp shards of bone piercing through the skin. In his chest were three shallow marks similar to the ones that marred the ground; Seifer had almost dodged an attack. Squall vaguely wondered about the order in which Seifer had sustained such horendous injuries. He was bleeding so badly. There was no way he could survive. How long had he been here?

"Seifer…" Squall knelt down next to his friend. Suddenly Seifer's eyes opened and the hand attached to the oddly-angled arm snatched the pendent the Squall wore around his neck. Pulling him close, Seifer tried to form words and speak. When Squall could not hear him, he leaned in, somewhat helped by the iron grip Seifer had on his necklace.

"Squall…I…I don't……… want…to…_die_… I don't want…to…die…" He coughed vioently, and tried to hold it in. Blood stained his mouth and there were uncharacteristic tears in his eyes. His grip relaxed and his hand fell to the ground. Closing his eyes, he stopped breathing. Seifer Almasy was dead.

* * *

They told him that he had been there for seven hours before the rest of the SeeD could be mobilized to combat the beast after someone had sent out a distress signal while fighting it. The commanders had no idea that Bahamut would be gone and that Squall would be the only survivor out of both squads. He was lucky to be alive after the injuries he had sustained, which included a concussion, five broken ribs, a shattered ankle, a dislocated shoulder, internal bleeding, and several broken fingers on his primary gunblade wielding hand. He had been lucky that the medics had come along, for if he wasn't healed slightly before the return trip, Squall very well may have died. It had taken days for him to get out of critical condition, even with all of the healing power they could muster. He was too much of an asset to lose now that Seifer was dead. Squall must have lost consciousness while he was sitting with Seifer. 

They had found Squall kneeling next to the fallen mission commander, barely breathing. When they had roused him, he had frantically tried to explain that it wasn't his fault. Assuring him that it would be all right, the mobilized forces brought Squal back to the infirmiry. It had been a full week since the mission, and Squall was soon needed to explain what happened to the commanders. The magics that the healers used had left him in stable condition with much hard work. He was able to walk and breathe almost normally, but couldn't exert himself much further than that. He still had a slight limp. When the time came, Squall explained to the best of his ability.

"We were following orders and waited until almost dusk. When the other squad did not call in to us, Seifer charged. We were held up by some hired soldiers and Bahamut was summoned. When Seifer killed Gutsco, Bahamut went into a rage. None of us remembered that something like that would happen." Squall left out that he had remembered and tried to stop Seifer. "Bahamut's attack knocked me unconscious and when I woke up, everyone was dead." Squall's tone was so strained and bitter that it shocked even himself. He stood stoically while the leaders of Balamb Garden debated about what to do.

"Squall Leonhart, due to the trauma that this incident may have caused you, you are given one year off duty. You may remain in the Garden, but are excused from any SeeD obligations. All we ask is that you make sure your body is healing and that you work on your strength so that when you do return, you are not behind. And remember that this incident was not your fault."

"Thank you, commanders."

"Dismissed!"

Saluting, Squall limped out. It had been one week since Seifer's death. As Squall headed back to his dorm, instead of the hospital wing where he should have been going, he ignored the sympathetic looks he got from all of the students and instructors. He just wished to be left alone.

* * *

Exactly 6 Months since the mission day

(Six months since Seifer's death)

His art collection had never been so large, Squall decided. Ever since Seifer died he had turned to painting to ease the pain. He trained for the most part to keep in shape, but in his spare time turned to his hobby. Squall had always been sort of a solitary person, and the pity from the other students was unbearable. He didn't even know half of the students who tried to be friendly and amiable. No, Squall had been busy with his art. With his year off he was able to slow down his life and catch up on his hobby. His room was filled with his own pieces, which he showed no one. He spent most of his time painting landscapes, but he was running out of places to paint. Sometimes he would ask some of the sympathizers who he was slightly more personal with if they would pose in very normal, casual stances, but there were very few of those. Squall was skilled in capturing expressions, but no person he painted ever appeared in a painting again. He couldn't find anyone who suited his work more than once.

On this particular day, Squall ventured out of Balamb Garden to find a new place to paint. It was twilight once again, his favorite time to paint. Gathering a canvas, a stand and his vast paint set, he set out. He was tiring of his old places; they no longer inspired him. Today he decided against the beach and didn't want to go into town. Walking down the narrow path that led from the Garden, Squall decided to veer into the forest. The thick trees were something challenging he had never tried his hand at before. Picking his way carefully through the trees, Squall tried to find the perfect spot. This proved slightly difficult, as he had not returned yet to his full strength and ignored most requests of the healers that he return to the infirmiry. He would fight back to health on his own. His equipment did little to aide him. The foliage was very dense and hard to get through, but Squall managed. Finally, after pushing through a particularly nasty spot, he came to the most beautiful landscape he had ever seen.

Before him was a perfectly circular meadow, bathed in the failing light from the sun. The trees all swayed together in the soft breeze. Every inch of the serene landscape seemed to be sculped by divine beings. Tiny wildflowers dotted that area with splashes of color in exactly the right places. Not one tiny blade of grass seemed out of place. The sounds of the creatures that inhabited the forest surrounded him as he stepped into the center. The wind played with his hair, blowing it into his eyes. The gentle breeze seemed to blow into him. Squall felt oddly at peace here. Taking a deep breath, he looked around for a good spot to capture the serenity. He finally decided on a tree that had few roots protruding from the ground near it. Setting up all of his things, he waited.

From here, he could see the majority of the clearing with ease. He decided to wait until the stars and moon came out; it was a clear sky so no clouds would impede. While he waited, he simply relaxed his body and mind. Today was six months since the terrible mission and Seifer's death. Anger and guilt crept into his mind at the thought. Trying to push that out of his mind, he sat down and leaned against his chosen tree. Closing his eyes, he inhaled the crisp air. The tranquility of the place relaxed him. Squall had to have dozed off slightly, because when he opened his eyes again a full moon was illuminating the clearing before him in a serene, pale light. He opened several of his paints, stood and began to work.

When he painted, Squall tended to block out everything except his subject. The time passed swiftly. Eventually his legs grew quite tired and he decided to sit and rest. He removed the unfinished painting from the stand and observed it. It was nearly finished. The major parts were done, but Squall was still not finished with the tiny details. It simply did not feel complete. Squall leaned back and closed his eyes, trying to picture the scene in his head. The sense of peace calmed him and his breathing became very even. It must be very late now… without realizing it, Squall fell asleep.

* * *

When he opened his eyes again, he was confused by what he saw. Squall was standing in what appeared to be a vast desert, the parched earth cracked beneath his feet. Looking in all different directions, he saw that everywhere looked the same. There was a slight misty haze that obscured his vision a bit. Sighing softly, he simply began to walk, glancing at his surroundings from time to time. Nothing seemed to change. For what seemed like hours he meandered through the wasteland, wondering where he was and occasionally stumbling. Gradually his speed slowed, his legs weak from all of the walking. Finally, when his gait was nearly a crawl, he appeared to find the end. But he looked over the edge and found nothing but more hazy darkness. He turned around, resigned to walking back. 

Startled, Squall found that he was on a small block of land; had the rest disappeared? Or had he imagined its size? Tired and weak, he fell to the ground in blatant dispair. Where was he? What was he going to do? His vision was becoming blurry. He looked up at the sky and saw a small shape floating down toward him. A feather, pure and white, fell before his eyes and landed in his hand. He clutched it tightly in his fist. Opening his hand, he was shocked to find that it had disappeared.

Squall was acutely aware of the fact that he was somewhere else. He was standing in a field of flowers. Before him a figure stood with her back toward him. She was dressed in white robes with two white wings protruding from her back. Her raven hair fell to her wings. He tried to call out to her, but his mouth was dry and he made no sound. She seemed to turn toward him slightly, but before he could see her, the scene switched.

Suddenly he saw every painful memory he had ever had to live through. Every time he had been hurt, every moment of agonizing despair, his existence after where lonliness and misery were his only companions was replaying through his head. Sorrow racked his body as he watched, helpless to stop it, his fists clenching ever tighter. He felt all of the happiness be pushed away with sadness. The faces of every single person he had ever seen die shown in his mind like a gruesome slideshow. When lastly Seifer lay before him, his body torn and broken, whispering his last wish not to die, Squall broke out of his trance. He was suddenly back to the hazy desert, looking toward the sky. A single tear slipped from his eye.

A warm light surrounded him at that precise moment. Squall felt oddly at peace. In the distance, far away from Squall's range of vision, a pure white feather fell to the ground. A petite figure stood not far away. She watched from her safe distance. Squall lay down and closed his eyes. Without his noticing, the figure approached him silently. He appeared to be unaware of her presence. It almost seemed like he was dead. With little difficulty she lifted his head, gently brushing some of his unruly hair out of his face. He opened his eyes slightly, but she whispered to him in an infinitely soothing voice.

"Close your eyes." Squall could feel her arms around him still, but relaxed in her warm embrace. His heart felt at ease… perhaps more than that. Squall did not know how long they stayed like this, but eventually he felt her gently set him down. He could not bring himself to open his eyes yet. Suddenly the soothing smell of flowers carressed his senses. He opened his eyes.

Squall's surroundings had once again changed. Surrounded by flowers, a blue sky with beautiful white clouds and feathers and petals swirling around him made him smile slightly. Glancing up, he saw the figure that had been throughout his dream hovering in the sky.

She was more beautiful than any creature he had ever encountered. Even though she was far away, he could make out her pale skin, pearly garb that showed her exquisite form, white wings with thousands of tiny feathers forming them, ebony hair that contrasted so richly with the rest of her, lovely face, deep and loving eyes and overall welcoming presence. Squall looked at her as he had looked at no one ever in his life. There was brilliancy and beauty when he looked at her. His breathing quickened when she held his gaze. She simply smiled. His heart pounded erratically in his chest and he was overcome with emotion. He reached out to her, grabbing a feather in his hand in the process. When he found his voice he called out to her.

"Who are you?"

Her smile grew but she did not answer. She simply waved her hand gently towards him, and darkness clouded his vision again. The scent of flowers slowly vanished; he felt like he was falling…

* * *

Squall woke with a start, his heart pounding for no apparent reason. Sleep clouded his mind. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun… the sun! What time was it? How long had he been out here? And why was his heart pounding so furiously? His fist was clenched very tightly, and when he opened his hand, a pure white feather rested in his palm. Squall did not ponder this oddity. Packing up his things with fearsome speed, he carefully picked his way back through the forest, noting how the sun suited the clearing as well as the moon had. Squall hoped no one noticed his absense. It was frowned upon to stay out all night, even though he had no duties. He would have to paint it in the sun at some point. But the way the moonlight lit the field… the dream… 

What a strange dream he had had… that girl in the dream… Squall's heart sped up at the thought of her. When he returned, undetected, to his dormitory, he set the painting down with the intention of finishing it later. When he glanced at it, his eyes widened slightly and he gasped. In the center of the painting was the young woman from his dream! She looked exactly as he had seen her during his sleep, but how was it possible? He was unconscious! The painting needed no more work… the presence that was now in the center in white robes with a cloak of moonlight completed the work more than anything Squall would have thought could. His heart pounded as he studied the features of the woman in the painting. She seemed perfect… He had never felt this way before. He wanted to visit the meadow again… he had to try and see her again… tonight he would go, and every night after until he saw her again.

* * *

3 Months Later

(9 months after Seifer's death)

Squall had gone to the meadow with alarming frequency, both day and night, and his room was cramped with paintings of the serene place. But only one held the object of his affection. It was the one he had painted three months ago, the first one of the meadow. Angrily he looked around his room, which was now cramped with "unfinished" paintings. To anyone else, every single one would look finished and beautifully done. In fact, some people who saw them perpetually asked him why he didn't sell them, to which he growled that they weren't finished. Squall simply wanted to paint her again. But the last few nights he had been going there, he felt uncomfortable. It was almost as if he was not alone.

Today, however, he was not going into the meadow. Not at the moment, at least. Early in the morning Squall was travelling the short distance from Balamb Garden towards the little town of Balamb. He was running out of his favorite colored paints and needed to buy more. As he entered the town, he stopped first into a little art store that carried some works of art from local artists. Many were on sale so that people could get their names out. Squall dropped off a few of his "unfinished" pieces; he had too many in his room for comfort. It was becoming a ritual for him to drop off a few paintings whenever he came into town. They generally sold fairly quickly. Many people had commented on them at the garden (those who were lucky enough to see them) and suggested that he bring them here. Squall had decided that if they were simply taking up space, he may as well try and sell them.

After dropping off his paintings in the back of the little shop, Squall looked around at the paintings for sale. None really caught his eye; most were not particularly interesting. He was just about to leave when one small detail of the painting closest to the door distracted him. As he moved to study it closer, his eyes widened slightly. The painting itself was simply the blending of many different shades of gray. But in the very center stood a perfect depiction of the figure in his own painting.

"Who is this in the painting?" Squall demanded of the store manager, a bit more rude than necessary.

"Her name is Rinoa, I suppose. We get a lot of those, but they never stay for very long. Do you believe in angels and demons? Apparently she's an angel."

Without hesitation, Squall bought the painting. It cost him over half of the gil he had brought along for paints. He didn't mind though. Squall would mix the paints to create the colors he needed, so he only had to buy the basic colors. Normally this would bother him slightly, not having the colors ready at hand, but with his painting in his possession his mood was uplifted. Leaving the store with the intention of going to the paint shop, a curious thing happened.

As Squall walked down the narrow lane, the morning traffic was speeding up and more and more people were out. Squall weaved his way through the crowd, when suddenly his shoulder crashed rather roughly into someone. Immediately Squall felt ill at ease. Glancing around to find the person he ran into, so that he could apologize, the feeling intensified. The uneasy, dark feeling was familiar. In fact, there was only one person who he had ever felt this uneasy around: Seifer. There was the same darkness in this person's heart. Meeting eyes with the stranger, Squall was about to choke out an apology.

The man, although he could hardly be called that as he looked about the same age as Squall, he had uncerimoniously run into was taller than he was, and was quite handsome though dressed rather oddly. He couldn't be from around Balamb; he stood out too much. His dark glowering eyes held Squall's for what seemed like eternity, then he simply turned and stalked away before Squall said a word. Squall shivered slightly at the uncomfortable encounter. He finished his business quickly and returned to the Garden. Perhaps taking a day off would allow him to see this Rinoa again. He set up the picture in his dorm room and set out to the training center for the day.

* * *

(You know what to do. He's there every night. Simply wait for the time when he shows his weakness.) 

"It was fine when I couldn't see his face! But now that I've seen him up close? He's just a kid!"

(He is the same age as you are. All you have to do is kill him. You are a trained killer, are you not? Simply wait until anger and sorrow are visible in his words or actions, then take the shot.)

"I...I can't... I'm sorry, I can't do it. I can't kill someone like that… I can't… I can't… I _won't_. Find someone else."

(You _will_ kill Squall Leonhart. I demand it.)

And the man felt compelled to obey, for his will and mind were very weak.

* * *


	8. Search

Disclaimer: I do not own FF VIII or any characters used. Sorry I don't update with any regularity.

The Price We Pay

Chapter VII

* * *

As the memories flowed through him, a sense of understanding dawned on Squall. He remembered now why this meadow had held importance. It was the place where he had first seen Rinoa. He hadn't realized that he'd seen her in his life before he had died. It was his devotion to his art and seeing her that had led him back here each night for six full months. Squall's desire to see her again had led him to this place so many times… and had ultimately led to his death.

Now that he was no longer irked by his inability to remember that, he was not left in contentment for long. The man he had run into… who had it been? The face seemed slightly familiar, yet no name fit with it. The glimpse into his past had not allowed his mind to recall who exactly the mysterious man was. Squall would figure that out later.

The sun was beginning to rise, which Squall took as a signal to begin his search for Rinoa. But first he had to visit the Garden, his beloved home. He had loved it there, even though he did not realize it until it was far too late. Using his slightly heightened speed and senses, he picked his way through the forest swiftly and with great ease. His excitement grew as he neared the place of his only home, yet his confusion grew exponentially as he could feel no one there.

And suddenly Squall arrived. But overwhelming sorrow overtook him and he fell to his knees. He released a strangled cry of rage and sadness; where Balamb Garden should have stood, only a crater remained. The Garden was gone. Things had changed… and not for the better. His journey had not started out well. His agony increased as another problem revealed itself: he was alone. Squall had forgotten the rules of returning to the Mortal Realm. One would have to return to the place where they had died. And Squall had no idea where Selphie or Quistis had died… or Rinoa. In their haste, this fact had been overlooked. Squall would have to carefully search the entire world for a young woman who had no idea who he was or why he would want to see her.

Squall left the crater that once held his home; he began to search the world, starting with Balamb…

* * *

Several Weeks Later

Squall collapsed into the bed of his hotel room in Deling City, exhausted. He had been fruitlessly searching for weeks and could find no trace of any of the angels. He hadn't stopped to sleep throughout this entire journey, and felt that the best time would be now. He was quite angry at himself for his inability to find her… or even sense her presence. She would still have a holy aura that he could sense, as would the other angels. Just when he was about to shut off all of the lights and sleep, rather early for a mortal, for a solid night, he felt suddenly ill. This was a sickness he had not felt since he was alive… that man… the night he died… Seifer…

Seifer! He could feel that dark presence poisoning his mortal body. Concentrating on his pendant, some black energy came from it and reentered his body. It eased the sickness a little. Seifer was a fool to keep himself so strong with darkness. Even normal corporeal beings would be able to feel his dark presence be uncomfortable in his presence. The angels would know exactly where he was…

Squall could feel more now. He had not noticed before since he was overpowered by Seifer, but he could feel Irvine and Zell as well. They were both quite a distance from Seifer, but in the city nonetheless. All three were here… But that was not all. He could feel the presence of the angels. Quistis and Selphie were here, but they were quite close to Seifer. Another thing disturbed him… rushing out of his room and downstairs at an insane pace, he was quick to find out that his worst fear was confirmed.

For just in front of Squall, looking revoltingly happy and walking hand in hand were Rinoa and Seifer.

Quistis and Selphie were not far behind the seemingly cheerful couple, but far enough away to avoid detection. It was not hard to see them even though they wore different clothes. Squall caught up to them and violently grabbed Quistis, whirling her around to face him.

"When did he find her?" Quistis looked affronted at first, but seeing Squall's ragged and already furious state, she let it slide. They continued to follow Rinoa and Seifer.

"Seifer found her about a month ago. Selphie and I came upon them two weeks later. Irvine and Zell are always close enough to keep an eye on us, but they don't know you're here yet. They think you are still close to Balamb. Seifer told them you would be there, but Irvine already knew that and took Zell along with him."

"But he is her sworn enemy! Why is she acting like she is in love with him?"

"She doesn't remember anything. All of her memories and powers are locked inside the ring she wears. She will become an angel again only when her life is in great danger."

Seifer led Rinoa into a café not far ahead of them. The trio who had been following simply waited outside in tense silence until Seifer and Rinoa reemerged. The couple looked blissfully happy; Squall could not remember a time when Seifer looked so cheerful. Seifer hailed a taxi for Rinoa and sent her off. Squall was pleased that there were no long goodbyes or displays of affection. He supposed it was Seifer playing innocent to get Rinoa to trust him completely. Then he would… no…!

The angels were about to leave and follow Rinoa, but Squall suddenly burst out, nearly shouting and giving away his position.

"We need to talk. Come to my hotel room with me. None of them know I'm here."

* * *

As the trio hurried toward Squall's room, he ignored the looks he received from people who had seen him enter alone earlier. When they were safely inside, he closed the curtains and locked the door. When he was satisfied that they were alone, he turned quickly to the slightly puzzled seraphs.

"I'm sorry that it took me so long to find her. I cannot forgive myself for letting Seifer find her first… Where _did _he find her?"

"He found her in Timber… the place where she died." Quistis answered with a hint of sadness. "He got there faster than we did and took her here. It took us two weeks to find them."

"This doesn't bode well. He will poison her mind… Do you talk to her?"  
"Yes. We were friends in real life, too. I went to Trabia Garden and Quisty went to Balamb Garden. But we were both in Timber visiting Rinoa when she died… that's when we died too." Selphie looked vexed by that fact.

"Quistis, you were at Balamb Garden? I never knew you."

"I knew who you were, Squall. You were quite famous and popular around there. Of course, I was ahead of you so we never met. You were too much of a loner to acknowledge me anyway."

"I do apologize for that Quistis. But if I may, how did Seifer beat you to Rinoa? You were in the same town while Seifer was closer to Balamb."

Quistis looked angry and distraught as well. She did not answer, nor did Selphie. She went to sit down on one of the beds in the room. Selphie joined her, sitting cross legged next to her friend. Clearly they felt the sting of that fact far more than Squall had imagined. Squall moved to the other bed, feeling that this talk would last well into the night.

"Shouldn't we go after Rinoa? We have to get her away from Seifer. Now that you're here, it will be easier. Seifer could kill her at any moment and try and take her soul with him to Hell." Quistis sounded concerned and was clearly avoiding the question. Squall could tell she was embarrassed by her failure.

"Rinoa is in no danger now. Seifer has acted like the perfect gentleman to her, has he not? From what I saw tonight, he will act the same way until he has her trust completely. He will do no harm to her. How did he get to her first?" Quistis saw that he would pursue this until she answered.

"We had to rest. The spells we performed to help Rinoa escape drained us of nearly everything. When we came here, we slept for nearly a week. In that time, Seifer had his two minions scout her out and he was able to beat us there. He does disappear for two to three days at a time every so often."

"He has to return to Hell. His power is drawn from the deepest fires of his domain. He is so connected to that place that it is almost painful for him to leave for very long. And he must prevent any uprisings in his absence."

"Now that that's settled, I have a question for you, Squall," Selphie interjected, "Why is Rinoa safe?"

Squall sighed. He had learned the nature of Hell almost as soon as he had arrived. He knew precisely what Seifer was playing at and exactly what he was doing.

"She is, for the moment, the safest person alive. And yet she will soon be in more danger than any of us can protect her from. Seifer is quite clever. Never forget that."

"But to leave her by his side? That's asking for trouble!"

"Listen to me," Squall snapped rather uncharacteristically, "I _know_ Seifer. He's making sure she can never escape again. By gaining her trust, he aims to keep her in Hell forever!"

The silence that followed settled on the room in a think blanket. No one spoke for several long moments. Selphie looked confused.

"I don't understand what you're saying, Squall. Keep her in Hell forever? She'll find ways to escape."

"No, that won't be possible. You see, Hell is a dangerous and foul place. Those of us who try to leave have much trouble. Going to the Dream Plane is taxing. Coming here is even worse. That is why I have sealed some of my power into this," he pointed to the pendent he wore, "which lessens the burden slightly. Hell has a great pull on us. Seifer feels it the most. He must continually return due to his connection. But if someone _willingly_ goes to Hell and condemns themselves for all eternity, they can _never_ leave. The pull is too strong. They cannot visit dreams in a corporeal form, nor come to the Mortal Realm. They are forever bound to Hell, and by association, the ruler. If Seifer can convince her to come to Hell with him, Rinoa will be his forever. Eventually, I have no doubt that Seifer's pull on her will be too great. But that could take years. The more she is around him, the more he will slowly exert his influence on her; he'll brainwash her and make her need him forever. She will be his to command and to use for whatever purpose he deems necessary. He will be able to overpower all of us… he will win."

Another silence crept into the room, this time of understanding.

"Fortunately, Seifer will have to carefully draw out his plan until she is willing to do _anything_ for him. If he tries to take her too soon, he'll fail. It's not a decision most are faced with. Being asked to die and live forever in fire would scare away all but those who are truly addicted to darkness. If her attachment to Seifer grows too strong, she is doomed."

This time it was Quistis who looked slightly miffed.

"I can only assume that someone as evil as Seifer willingly went to Hell. The legends of him say that he died while proclaiming his allegiance to Ultemicia and all of the damned."

("Squall…I…I don't……… want…to…_die_… I don't want…to…die…")

"One must be willing to accept death. I was there when Seifer died… he didn't want to die. We were friends in life; he always thought he would go to Hell. But when the time came, he clung to life and hope. The emotions we have as we die have a strong pull on where we go…" Squall trailed off, remembering his own death. He had died with anger in his heart. The hatred he had felt had led his soul to Hell, where Seifer took it for his own uses.

"I have always wondered why so many seemingly dreadful people were able to find Heaven. Their last thoughts were pure and good… It makes sense." Quistis grasped the concept fully. Selphie however, did not.

"So, murdered people can go to both Heaven and Hell? Quisty and I were murdered on our way to Rinoa's home in Timber. We must have been thinking about how happy we were that we could see Rinoa. What about you Squall?"

"I was murdered while cursing the world for leaving me alone to die."

An awkward silence filled the room. The lack of sound was something they were getting used to, but Squall's cold response had robbed the room of comfort.

"If I may ask… how did all of you die?" The silence was broken for an instant by the question, but quickly returned. Neither wanted to talk about their deaths, even though one story would explain them all. Quistis recovered first and realized that it had to be told.

"It was when the Gardens had allowed us a break. The three of us had been friends for a long time, even though we all went to different Gardens. There were always mixers with the three, and we had hit it off." Squall remembered these, but he had never actually gone to one. "When Selphie and Rinoa were seventeen and I was eighteen, we decided to meet while on break. Rinoa lived in Timber in an apartment payed for by her dear friend, Azrael. Azrael's family was very well off, and he and Rinoa were close in age. There is no doubt that they were in love." Squall felt a slight pang of jealousy at this. "His family had the very great honor of secretly protecting the Deep Sea Research Center and Bahamut. Azrael himself was only a few months off from being able to go and guard it personally. But he was with Rinoa on the day that she died."

Selphie picked up the story now.

"You see, the protecters were in constant danger. Many people tried to steal Bahamut and use his power. Only one succeeded. He was a criminal who went by the name of Gutsco. This man found out what family guarded the fabled beast and set out to eliminate them. He wanted to get rid of anyone who could stop him. He killed many people in his quest. When Quistis and I arrived at Rinoa's home, Azrael wasn't there. He was to arrive later; he was out of town that day. So we were catching up on old times and teasing Rinoa about her and Azrael's relationship. They weren't officially dating or anything, but it was clear that they were together and would be for a long time. His family adored her. We were all chatting when he returned from his trip. He came inside and apologized for being rude to us. He asked to speak with Rinoa alone, so the two of us left to go get something to eat and look around the town. Almost as soon as we left, giggling about what we thought would happen, a man asked us if Azrael lived here. We told him that he did, and as we turned to leave, he shot us both dead. As far as we know, he did the same to Rinoa and Azrael." Quistis took up the story again.

"I suppose he must have wanted to show his love to her, because it was the love Rinoa held in her that made her so strong. That is why she is such a powerful arch angel. The love we had for our friend, and the surprise of our deaths, sent us to Heaven. As far as we know, Gutsco was quite successful with his attempt to get Bahamut-"

"He was. I am a witness to his power with Bahamut." Squall then briefly explained his tale about Seifer's death at the hands of Gutsco and Bahamut. Then he asked one more question.

"What happened to Azrael?"

"Azrael is the collector of souls. He is hardly ever seen by any of us, as he is always circling the Mortal Realm, ready to snatch any soul that comes within his reach. It hurt Rinoa dreadfully that she couldn't see him very often, but they remain great friends. She has left the romance behind her and instead has devoted herself to her task of helping mortals. He remains very dear to her, but in a different way than in her life."

There was nothing left to do but contemplate all that had been said. Squall pushed open the curtain and saw the faintest trace of sunrise. He would get no rest today.

* * *

Ehhh. Sorry that this was more backstory.

I am sorry for the lack of updates, but I literally have no time. I'm in my junior year of High school and have to focus on school (especially physics… bleh) and college stuff. And I just got a new job, am way too involved in my church and dance a lot and it takes up so much time. So for now, this story is on hold until I free up my schedule a bit. Thanks for understanding!


End file.
